NASA targets 2024 for the first test flight of the X-59 aircraft

    Source: Lockheed Martin

    A rendering of NASA’s X-59 supersonic demonstrator

NASA's Quest mission has revised the planned first flight of the quiet X-59  supersonic plane to 2024.

A one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft, the X-59  required complex engineering compiled by NASA researchers working with prime contractor Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. In addition to the aircraft design, the X-59 also incorporates new technology with systems and components from several older aircraft, such as  landing gear from the F-16 and a controlled life support system. Adjust from  F-15.

As part of the development requirements for this unique aircraft, the Questt team is addressing a number of technical challenges identified during 2023, when the X-59 is scheduled to make its first flight. More time is needed to fully integrate the systems into the aircraft and ensure they work together as intended. The team is also troubleshooting disruptions to some of the fail-safe computers that control the plane's systems.

Quesst has made steady progress in flight over the past year. The team put the finishing touches on the X-59's tail structure, allowing it to complete its electrical wiring and conduct key ground tests, while also moving it from the assembly facility to  flight path to perform structural tests.

The X-59 will demonstrate the ability to fly supersonic, or faster than the speed of sound, while reducing the normally loud sonic boom to a quiet sonic thump. NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several communities to gather data on how people perceive the sound it produces. The agency will provide that information to U.S. and international regulators to potentially adjust rules that currently prohibit commercial supersonic flight over land.

NASA's top priorities for any mission are safety and ensuring success. For Quesst, that means not only being sure that the X-59 is safe before it flies, but safe in the long term and reliable during the community test phase. The aircraft is currently undergoing integration testing which must be completed before flight. After completing this phase, the aircraft will continue its journey with a flight readiness assessment, at which time NASA plans to provide a more precise timetable for the first flight.

Quesst is a mission that has the potential to revolutionize commercial air transportation by dramatically reducing travel time. Flying the X-59 safely and reliably  is essential for NASA to achieve these benefits. The agency is committed to conducting a thorough review and testing process to ensure the success of this mission.