NASA's X-59 Quiet Supersonic Jet Completes Historic First Test Flight Over California Desert

Oct 29, 2025 02:38 pm CST

NASA's revolutionary X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft successfully completed its maiden test flight in Southern California, demonstrating technology designed to reduce sonic booms to gentle "sonic thumps." Built by Lockheed Martin at a cost exceeding $518 million, this experimental jet aims to overcome noise restrictions that have limited supersonic commercial travel, potentially transforming the future of aviation with speeds reaching Mach 1.4.