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NASA Quesst

NASA's Quesst mission, which features the one-of-a-kind X-59 aircraft, will demonstrate technology to fly supersonic, or faster than the speed of sound, without generating loud sonic booms. NASA will then survey how people respond when the X-59 flies overhead, sharing these reactions to the quieter sonic "thumps" with national and international regulators to inform the establishment of new data-driven acceptable noise thresholds related to supersonic commercial flight over land. Quesst is supported through NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.

NASA Celebrates a Year of Progress Since First X-59 Flight

Animated gif of the X-59 first flight vs one year later. Showing the stats from October 28, 2025 to October 28, 2026.
Since the X-59’s first flight, NASA’s Quesst team has taken the experimental aircraft to test points at a variety of speeds and altitudes, ensuring the X-plane is ready to meet mission requirements.
NASA / Maria Werries

One year ago, NASA’s Quesst mission made history with the first flight of the X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft. Since then, the X-59 has completed 40 additional flights, marking a year of steady progress for the program.  

While its first flight on Oct. 28, 2025, focused on low, slow flights to conduct systems checks, the X-59 has since reached a maximum altitude of more than 56,000 feet and speeds up to Mach 1.53. 

The X-59 has spent the past year expanding its flight envelope, flying at the altitudes, speeds, and conditions that will be utilized for all aspects of the Quesst mission. The aircraft’s team will continue that work in the coming months, but also transition toward a new phase of testing: acoustic validation, which will focus on analyzing the sounds the X-59 makes.  

The X-59 is shaped so that when it flies at its intended quiet supersonic altitude of 55,000 feet and speed of Mach 1.4, people on the ground won’t hear a loud sonic boom – they’ll hear a thump projected to sound like a car door closing from about 20 feet away. During future flight tests, NASA will study and record those sonic thumps. 

NASA’s Quesst mission aims to help enable a new era of commercial supersonic flight over land, exploring the potential for a new market of faster air travel. Learn more about the Quesst mission on NASA’s site.   

Learn more about the Quesst mission on NASA’s site.  

Public Affairs Specialist