NASA's X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft Completes First Flight

The Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project aims to enable commercial supersonic flights over land by reducing sonic boom noise.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 10:46am

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NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft has completed its first flight, cruising above Palmdale and Edwards, California. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA's Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and enable future commercial travel over land at speeds faster than sound. The Low Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD) project is leading the first phase of the Quesst mission, involving the design, fabrication, ground tests, and checkout flights of the X-59.

Why it matters

The federal government banned all civilian supersonic flights over land more than fifty years ago due to sonic boom noise. The LBFD project aims to demonstrate the X-59's ability to fly supersonic without generating loud sonic booms, which could pave the way for the U.S. aviation industry to lead the commercial supersonic market and provide passengers with significantly shorter travel times.

The details

The X-59 is powered by a General Electric F414 engine, a variant of the engines used on F/A-18 fighter jets. The engine is mounted above the fuselage to reduce the number of shockwaves that reach the ground. After ensuring the aircraft is safe and performing as expected, the LBFD project will support the rest of the mission team during Phase 2 to prove the aircraft is producing a quiet sound to people on the ground and is safe for operations in the National Airspace System.

  • The X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft completed its first flight on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
  • The Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project is leading Phase 1 of the Quesst mission, involving the design, fabrication, ground tests, and checkout flights of the X-59.

The players

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a U.S. government agency responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.

Lockheed Martin Corporation

An American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation that is the world's largest defense contractor by revenue.

General Electric F414 engine

A variant of the engines used on F/A-18 fighter jets, which powers the X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft.

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What’s next

After Phase 1, the LBFD project will support the rest of the mission team during Phase 2 to prove the X-59 aircraft is producing a quiet sound to people on the ground and is safe for operations in the National Airspace System. At the conclusion of Phase 2, the X-59 aircraft will transfer to the Integrated Aviation Systems Program's Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities project.

The takeaway

The successful first flight of the X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is a significant step towards enabling commercial supersonic flights over land, which have been banned for over 50 years due to sonic boom noise. If the LBFD project can demonstrate the X-59's ability to fly supersonic without generating loud sonic booms, it could pave the way for the U.S. aviation industry to lead the commercial supersonic market and provide passengers with faster travel times.