NASA's X-59 Flies Supersonic for First Time

NASA’s experimental X-59 flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time on Friday, June 5. Test pilot Jim “Clue” Less took off and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, reaching a top speed of approximately Mach 1.1 (713 mph) and an altitude of 43,400 feet.

The flight began at 11:08 a.m. PDT, lasted 81 minutes, and focused on flying qualities at both subsonic and supersonic speeds. A NASA F‑15 chase plane monitored the X‑59 during the flight. The loud sonic booms from the F‑15 obscured any sound the X‑59 made. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the X-59 is getting ready for its quiet supersonic debut.

Since the aircraft’s first flight on Oct. 28, 2025, the team has flown 16 times in the last 90 days and settled into a steady test rhythm, and in the coming days the program expects to push to Mach 1.4. He expressed gratitude to the NASA team and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and said he hopes this is the first of many collaborations as NASA rebuilds its X‑plane portfolio.

United States, Edwards Air Force Base, California

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