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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.

Honoring NASA’s X-59 Test Pilots on Veterans Day

US Flag on the left and 6 individual images of NASA test pilots on the rights.

Seasoned pilots, aerospace engineers, and U.S. military veterans, NASA’s X-59 test pilots bring decades of service, technical expertise, and flight experience to the agency’s Quesst mission.

NASA X-59 pilots Jim “Clue” Less and Nils Larson served in the U.S. Air Force, while Mike Lippert served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Today, the three pilots continue that tradition of service by helping NASA advance the future of supersonic flight. Whether flying the X-59, one of its support aircraft, or contributing their engineering and technical expertise to the mission, this team of pilots is working to help change the way we fly.

Happy Veterans Day to Clue, Nils, and Mike, and to all those who served in the U.S. armed forces on NASA’s Quesst mission!

Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and continued commitment to advancing the future of flight.

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

Public Affairs Specialist