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NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft lifts off from the runway at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The nose is angled slightly upward, and the landing gear is down as it ascends under a blue sky. The tops of buildings are visible below, with mountains in the far background.

NASA’s X-59 Lifts Off for First Flight

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft lifts off for its first flight Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, from U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The aircraft’s first flight marks the start of flight testing for NASA’s Quesst mission, the result of years of design, integration, and ground testing and begins a new chapter in NASA’s aeronautics research legacy.

Image Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas
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