NASA’s X-59 takes off on its first test flight, marking a new era of quiet supersonic travel.
Credit : Lockheed Martin
For the first time in more than two decades, the sound barrier has been broken again – this time, almost silently.
NASA’s sleek experimental jet, the X-59, has completed its first-ever flight, reigniting hopes of bringing back supersonic passenger travel without the deafening roar that once grounded the dream.
The aircraft, developed with Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division, took off from Palmdale, California, for a short but symbolic test. It’s the first real glimpse of what NASA has been working on since 2016 – a plane that could make high-speed travel possible again, only without the thunderclap that made the Concorde so controversial.
A quieter answer to the Concorde’s thunder
When the Concorde streaked across the skies in the 1980s and 90s, it was the definition of futuristic travel – flying from London to New York in under four hours. But that progress came at a cost: a 110-decibel sonic boom that could shake buildings and rattle nerves. That noise eventually led to restrictions on supersonic flights over land and helped seal the Concorde’s fate after its final flight in 2003.
Now, more than twenty years later, NASA hopes the X-59 QueSST – short for Quiet Supersonic Technology – can succeed where the Concorde failed. Its goal is to reduce that boom to just 75 decibels, roughly the sound of a car door closing.
During its maiden flight, the aircraft stayed well below its future cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (around 1,485 km/h), cruising gently at about 385 km/h to test its systems and controls. The next phase of testing will take place at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, near Edwards Air Force Base, where the jet will finally attempt to reach supersonic speeds.
A jet designed to silence the sky
At first glance, the X-59 looks like something straight out of a sci-fi film. Its long, pointed nose takes up almost a third of the aircraft, designed specifically to spread shockwaves and soften the sonic boom that normally occurs when a plane breaks the sound barrier.
It’s also one of the few planes in history whose pilot can’t see directly forward. Instead of a traditional cockpit window, the X-59 uses a 4K External Vision System made up of high-resolution cameras that project a live view of what’s ahead.
The aircraft is powered by a General Electric F414-GE-100 engine, the same kind used in modern fighter jets, though this one sits on top of the plane rather than underneath. That design helps keep the underside smooth and reduces noise. Other parts are borrowed from different military aircraft — a practical way to cut costs and speed up development.
A new era of quiet speed
NASA’s next challenge isn’t just technical – it’s psychological. The agency plans to fly the X-59 over selected communities in the U.S. and ask residents to describe what they hear. If the sound is quiet enough, regulators could finally lift the ban on supersonic flights over land, something that has been in place for more than half a century.
If that happens, it could open the door to a new generation of high-speed commercial aircraft, capable of flying passengers around the world in record time – without disturbing those on the ground.
Sean Duffy, NASA’s acting administrator, said after the successful flight: “The X-59 is a symbol of innovation and determination. It shows what happens when we push boundaries — not just faster, but smarter and quieter too.”
It’s been more than 20 years since the world said goodbye to the Concorde. Now, with NASA’s X-59 in the air, that farewell might not be forever after all.
