25 test flights have moved NASA’s X-59 to the brink of acoustic validation, the phase meant to prove whether its supersonic shockwave can register on the ground as a softer thump.
Mach 1.4 and 55,000 feet were reached during envelope expansion, and NASA said flight data has closely matched computer models and wind-tunnel predictions with no unexpected instability or excessive vibration.
The 25th flight on Aug. 21 lasted 72 minutes from Edwards, California, reaching about Mach 1.2 and 49,000 feet, but a chase plane’s own sonic booms masked any clear X-59 noise reading.
Minor control-software tweaks and fixes to nuisance caution alerts were made between flights, underscoring the incremental work needed before the more complex air-and-ground acoustic campaign begins.
The Quesst mission is testing whether the X-59’s long, slender design can make overland supersonic travel acceptable enough to reopen a path for future high-speed commercial aviation.