Watch NASA’s Quiet Supersonic Jet Break the Sound Barrier for the First Time

On June 5, 2026, NASA’s experimental X-59 aircraft achieved its first supersonic flight, reaching a top speed of approximately Mach 1.1. Test pilot Jim “Clue” Less operated the aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base in California during the 81-minute mission, which focused on flying qualities. This milestone prepares the X-59 for upcoming demonstrations of its quiet thump noise over several U.S. communities, aiming to showcase the aircraft's unique quiet supersonic capabilities later this year.