X-59 Completes First Flight, Prepares For 2029 Tests

NASA and Lockheed Martin’s experimental X-59 completed its first test flight over Southern California, flying subsonically from Lockheed’s Skunk Works in Palmdale to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center at about 230–240 mph and roughly 12,000 feet; Lockheed said the jet “performed exactly as planned.” The needle‑nosed, single‑engine aircraft is designed to minimize sonic booms using a long slender nose, top‑mounted engine, smooth underside and a covered cockpit that uses external cameras and a display instead of a forward canopy so people on the ground would hear a faint “thump” rather than a disruptive boom. The jet is intended ultimately to cruise near Mach 1.4 (about 925 mph) at 55,000 feet, and the flight verified initial flying qualities and airworthiness. Upcoming tests will push to higher speeds and altitudes, measure the X‑59’s sound signature, and carry out community‑acceptance testing and public surveys through 2029 to inform potential FAA noise thresholds. NASA has funded the QueSST program with more than $500 million (about $518 million since 2018), and the aircraft was named the “Coolest Thing Made in California” for 2025.