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NASA's experimental quiet supersonic level passes different captious milestone
NASA's X-59 investigation craft reached its target velocity and altitude for nan first clip connected Friday
By Claire Cameron edited by Clara Moskowitz
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic investigation craft reached its target velocity and altitude for early organization overflights for nan first clip during a formation connected Friday, June 12, 2026.
NASA/Lori Losey
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Just days aft NASA's experimental X-59 plane flew astatine supersonic speeds for nan first time, nan abstraction agency has announced different milestone for nan investigation aircraft.
The level is designed to travel faster than nan velocity of sound without creating large sonic booms—instead, it generates what NASA describes arsenic a "sonic thump."
On Friday, nan X-59 flew astatine Mach 1.4, aliases astir 924 miles per hour, astatine an altitude of 55,000 feet. This is nan velocity and altitude nan level must scope successful bid to alert complete populated areas. Future flights will springiness NASA important information astir really quiet group comprehend nan level to be.
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When craft recreation faster than nan velocity of sound, nan unit waves they nutrient are funneled toward nan rear of nan craft wherever they shape a cone; if nan craft flies debased capable for nan cone to glimpse disconnected Earth, nan consequence is simply a sonic boom. These large bangs (and nan precocious costs of nan technology) were nan logic why nan world's only supersonic rider plane, nan Concorde, retired successful 2003.
The X-59 is designed for a quieter faster-than-the-speed-of-sound flight. It has a agelong nose, which dissipates nan unit waves to nan constituent that nan craft whitethorn nutrient only a "supersonic thump," which NASA has said will sound location betwixt a distant thunder ace and a car doorway slamming half a artifact away.
NASA’s X‑59 eXternal Vision System (XVS) shows Mach 1.4 astatine 55,030 feet connected Friday, June 12, 2026.
NASA/Lori Losey
An F-15 investigation pitchy has been chaperoning nan X-59 connected its flights truthful far; because nan F-15 is simply a accepted supersonic aircraft, its sonic booms person obscured immoderate sound nan X-59 mightiness make. NASA plans to equine a daze sensor to nan F-15 to measurement nan X-59's daze activity signature during early flights to spot if it is performing arsenic desired. After that, nan abstraction agency will execute much flights astatine different altitudes and speeds, arsenic good arsenic measurement nan aircraft's acoustic signature.
"Each formation brings NASA 1 measurement person to flying nan X-59 complete communities and gathering feedback that could thief style nan early of commercialized supersonic formation complete land," NASA said successful a statement.
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