Lockheed Martin, NASA Conduct First Flight of X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and NASA completed the first flight of the X-59 supersonic aircraft, a quiet supersonic aircraft designed to pave the way for faster commercial air travel, on October 28.

The X-59 took off from U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale and landed at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards. The X-59 performed exactly as planned, verifying initial flying qualities and air data performance on the way to a safe landing at its new home, Lockheed Martin said in a statement.

The X-59 is a supersonic aircraft designed to demonstrate the ability to fly at supersonic speeds while reducing the sonic boom to a gentle thump. In doing so, the X-59 aims to overcome one of the primary barriers to supersonic commercial flight, which is currently restricted over land due to noise concerns.

The X-59's development and flight testing will inform the establishment of new data-driven acceptable noise thresholds related to supersonic commercial flight over land, paving the way for a new generation of supersonic aircraft that can efficiently and sustainably transport passengers and cargo twice as fast as aircraft today.