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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 Armstrong Public Affairs Specialist

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NASA’s X-59 Shows Streamlined Profile in Wheels-Up Flights

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above the Mojave Desert on a clear day. The aircraft is white with light gray, red, and blue accent colors. A NASA logo is visible on its tail, along with the number 859 above it. It appears to be flying level over the desert land-scape, and in the distance, you can see a mountain range on the horizon.
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above the Mojave Desert during its first wheels-up flight on April 3, 2026.
NASA

As NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic jet takes to the air, its sleek configuration is now on display thanks to a key milestone it reached in April – flying wheels-up. The transition marks an important step in the aircraft’s testing.

Experimental aircraft typically make their earliest test flights with the landing gear down, then begin retracting it after successfully meeting performance benchmarks. The X-59 flew wheels-up for the first time April 3.

Piloted by NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less, the aircraft departed from its home base at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and flew for 90 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of 20,000 feet and a top speed of approximately 460 mph.

Flying with the landing gear up allows the team to examine the performance of the X-59’s streamlined profile, which is a key design element ensuring the X-59 can fly faster than the speed of sound with just a quiet thump instead of a loud sonic boom.

The X-59 has made eight flights as of April 10 as it continues its test flight envelope expansion campaign. The X-59 is at the center of NASA’s Quesst mission to enable quiet commercial supersonic flight over land.

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AERONAUTICS RESEARCH MISSION

Quesst

Quesst is the name of NASA Aeronautics' mission to help take the first step toward enabling commercial, faster-than-sound air travel over land. The centerpiece of the mission is NASA's X-59 research aircraft. The experimental supersonic jet is designed with technology that reduces the loudness of a sonic boom to a gentle thump. NASA will fly the X-59 over select U.S. communities and take surveys to record what people think of the quieter sonic thumps. The human response data will be delivered to U.S. and international regulators, who will consider setting new rules that allow supersonic flight over land.

Stay up to date at the Quesst mission page
NASA’s X-59 is seen in flight, with a blue sky and mountains behind it and land below it. The aircraft’s long nose and distinct silhouette are visible as it ferries to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California 
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft cruises above Palmdale and Edwards, California, during its first flight, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. The aircraft safely landed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.
NASA/Lori Losey

NASA Armstrong Public Affairs Specialist