The future of air travel just got a lot quieter and a whole lot faster. On October 28, 2025, NASA’s revolutionary X-59 experimental aircraft completed its historic first flight, marking a watershed moment in aviation history and potentially unlocking the door to a new era of commercial supersonic travel over land.
The sleek, needle-nosed aircraft lifted off from Lockheed Martin’s legendary Skunk Works facility at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, at 8:14 a.m. Pacific time, piloted by NASA’s lead test pilot Nils Larson. After an unrestricted climb from the 12,000-foot runway, the X-59 conducted a 67-minute maiden flight, reaching an altitude of 12,000 feet and performing basic handling checks at speeds between 170 and 250 knots before touching down safely at Edwards Air Force Base, now its new home.
“We are thrilled to achieve the first flight of the X-59,” declared OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. “This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of quiet supersonic technology development”.
Breaking the Sound Barrier – Without Breaking Eardrums
The X-59 isn’t just another fast airplane. It represents the culmination of decades of research aimed at solving one of aviation’s most persistent challenges: the disruptive sonic boom that has kept supersonic flight banned over land in the United States since 1973.
At nearly 100 feet long with a distinctive 38-foot needle-like nose that comprises almost a third of its length, the X-59’s radical design is purpose-built to do what was once thought impossible- fly faster than sound while reducing the thunderous sonic boom to nothing more than a gentle “sonic thump,” comparable to the sound of a car door closing.
The aircraft’s innovative aerodynamic configuration prevents the shockwaves created during supersonic flight from coalescing into a single explosive boom. Instead, the X-59’s unique shape spreads these shockwaves along its fuselage, creating a series of smaller pressure waves that reach the ground as a quiet heartbeat-like thump measuring less than 75 perceived decibels.
Key to this acoustic achievement is the placement of the aircraft’s single GE Aerospace F414-GE-100 turbofan engine the same powerplant used in F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters mounted on top of the fuselage rather than underneath. This unconventional configuration, combined with a smooth underside and carefully sculpted aerodynamic surfaces, ensures that shockwaves are directed upward and prevented from merging into the traditional sonic boom.
Engineering Marvel Takes Flight
The maiden voyage showcased the X-59 performing exactly as designed, with Larson conducting several extended circuits over Edwards Air Force Base while the aircraft’s Flight Test Instrumentation System (FTIS) collected data from over 20,000 onboard parameters across 60 different data streams. Before landing, Larson executed a low approach and go-around that included a dramatic pass over NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center.
While this first sortie remained subsonic as planned, the X-59 is designed to cruise at Mach 1.4 approximately 925 miles per hour at an altitude of 55,000 feet, more than double the cruising altitude of conventional commercial airliners and 60% faster. In the coming months, Skunk Works will lead an initial flight test campaign to progressively expand the X-59’s flight envelope, eventually pushing the aircraft past the sound barrier to achieve its optimal speed and altitude for quiet supersonic flight.
“X-59 is a symbol of American ingenuity,” said Sean Duffy, acting NASA Administrator. “The American spirit knows no bounds. It’s part of our DNA—the desire to go farther, faster, and even quieter than anyone has ever gone before. This work sustains America’s place as the leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies”.
From Test Range to Your Neighborhood
The successful first flight kicks off Phase 1 of NASA’s ambitious Quesst (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) mission, which follows a carefully mapped three-phase roadmap. Following envelope expansion flights that will verify the aircraft’s airworthiness and safety, Phase 2 will focus on acoustic validation—flying the X-59 within supersonic test ranges over Edwards Air Force Base to prove the quiet technology works as designed in real atmospheric conditions.
But the most groundbreaking phase is yet to come. In Phase 3, beginning potentially in 2026, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several communities across the United States, asking residents to document their perception of the sound produced by the aircraft during supersonic overflights. This unprecedented community response data will be delivered to the Federal Aviation Administration and international regulators, providing the scientific foundation needed to establish new, data-driven acceptable noise standards for commercial supersonic flight over land.
Since investing over $518 million in the X-59 program starting in 2018, NASA’s goal has been clear: provide regulators with the information needed to lift the ban on commercial supersonic travel over populated areas, potentially cutting transcontinental flight times in half and opening entirely new global markets for aircraft manufacturers.
Overcoming Delays to Reach the Skies
The road to first flight wasn’t without obstacles. Initially rolled out with great fanfare in January 2024, the X-59 underwent an exhaustive series of ground tests that revealed persistent issues with the flight control computer, hydraulic systems, and other components—challenges that pushed the maiden flight from its original 2021 target date into late 2025.
Taxi tests finally began on July 10, 2025, with Larson putting the aircraft through low-speed and high-speed ground runs to validate critical systems like steering and braking. These final ground-based rehearsals confirmed the X-59’s readiness for flight, setting the stage for yesterday’s historic sortie.
The X-59 incorporates several borrowed components from proven aircraft: the canopy and pilot’s seat come from the T-38 Talon, landing gear is adapted from the F-16, and the life-support system is borrowed from the F-15 Eagle. However, forward visibility is achieved through an innovative External Vision System (XVS)—a high-resolution camera system with cockpit displays that allows the pilot to see ahead despite the long nose blocking traditional forward views.
Racing Toward a Supersonic Future
The first flight has already generated immense excitement within the aerospace community. Earlier this month, the California Manufacturers & Technology Association named the X-59 the “Coolest Thing Made in California” for 2025 during its annual statewide technology competition.
Approximately 200 aerospace employees and their families gathered along a nearby highway to witness the historic takeoff, while tens of thousands more tracked the flight online as the X-59 rapidly climbed to the top of Flightradar24’s most-tracked aircraft list.
With the successful maiden flight now complete, attention turns to the months ahead as the joint NASA-Lockheed Martin team works to unlock the X-59’s full potential. While delays have pushed the original timeline for providing data to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection from 2028 to 2030, the mission remains highly relevant—particularly following President Trump’s executive order in June directing the FAA to lift the longstanding ban on overland supersonic flight.
The X-59’s success could finally realize a dream that has eluded aviation for decades: making supersonic travel accessible, sustainable, and acceptable to communities worldwide. As the aircraft continues its test program, the vision of passengers traveling anywhere in the world in half the time it takes today moves one step closer to reality.
For now, the X-59’s wheels-up moment over the California desert represents more than just a successful test flight—it’s the sound of silence breaking barriers, and the whisper of a supersonic revolution taking flight.
