Passenger transport at supersonic speeds died with the disaster of the concorde in 2000after 24 years flying at speeds that reached 2,180 kilometers per hour. But the POT wants to resurrect it and works from 2016 in a new aircraft called to revolutionize supersonic transportation that yesterday he flew for the first time.
He X-59 It is the most striking aircraft to fly in the skies in a long time. To a large extent, due to spectacular aerodynamics that are part of the technology that allows supersonic flight without the thunderous sonic boom of the Concorde and gives the X-59 its last name: QueSSTacronym for Quiet Supersonic Technology or Supersonic Silent Technology.
He X-59 QueSSTwhich is developed jointly with NASA by the division Skunk Works of Lokheed Martintook off from the facilities Plant 42 of the US Air Force in Palmdale, California. The flight consisted of a low altitude circuit at a speed of 385 km/hwell below what it will achieve in the future, to verify the integration of the systems. Now, the X-59 will be moved to NASA Armstrong Flight Research Centernext to Edwards Air Force Base, to continue testing.
(2) A historic first flight for the #LockheedMartin / #POT#X59QueSST Tail #N859NASER.# 18-5901 from the Air Force’s Plant 42 in #Palmdale#California#AvGeek 10-28-25 pic.twitter.com/hXF273qrwi
— Matt Hartman (@ShorealoneFilms) October 28, 2025
From the 110 decibels of the Concorde to the 75 of the X-59
There, the plane will have to demonstrate the effectiveness of Quiet Supersonic Technology and that its design can reduce the classic sonic boom to what NASA described as a ‘thud’ little audible, at least compared to that produced by the concorde and for which he was banned from flying over the territory of USA and from other countries. While the plane that crashed on takeoff from Paris 25 years ago it generated 110 decibelsthe X-59 aims for the auditory impact on the ground to be 75similar to that generated by the slam of a car door when it closes. The pain threshold for the human ear is located above the 120 decibels.
NASA’s test program will put the X-59 flying at a speed of Mach 1.4 (some 1,485 km/habove the sound barrier) on land and will evaluate whether its design and materials achieve this. The second phase of the project will verify the effectiveness of the design with flights over the Edwards supersonic test range and the third will measure the reaction of ordinary citizens. The X-59 will then fly over various areas of the United States and residents will send their impressions of the sound via mobile phone.
Lokheed Martin has noted in a statement that ‘The X-59 behaved exactly as expected, verifying its flight and performance characteristics before landing safely at its new home. Skunk Works will continue to lead the initial testing campaign with NASA, expanding the flight profile in the coming months, including his first supersonic flightto measure the acoustic signature and perform community acceptance tests’.
A design that prevents the pilot’s direct vision for quieter supersonic flight
The X-59 measures 30.4 meters and has a wingspan of 9 meters. His nose is extremely long and occupies almost a third of the fuselagea shape designed to dissipate the shock waves that cause the sonic boom. The pilot’s cabin is located almost in the middle of the plane, without a front window. Instead, it uses a system called eXternal Vision System (XVS) with high-resolution cameras that project the outside view onto a 4K monitor.
The engine, a General Electrics F414-GE-100 derived from that used in fighters F/A-18E/F Super Hornetis located in the upper rear part to keep the belly of the plane smooth and reduce shock waves. Other components also come from other aircraft. The canopy and pilot’s seat of the T-38 Talonthe landing gear is that of the F-16 and the life support system used by F-15 Eagle.
Initially, the X-59 was scheduled to make its first flight in 2020but it was delayed 2023 and then, due according to the POT to ‘various technical challenges identified during 2023’until the date when it finally took place.
If the X-59 is successful and its design achieves its purpose, NASA hopes that the regulations that prevent flight at supersonic speed over land can be changed and a new stage of commercial supersonic flights will open.
Sean DuffySecretary of Transportation and acting administrator of NASA, stated after this first flight that ‘the X-59 is a symbol of American ingenuity. The spirit of going further, faster and quieter is part of our DNA. This work keeps America at the forefront of aviation and could change the way we travel‘.