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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.

  • Hangar Sweet Home for NASA’s X-59

    A white and blue jet airplane is parked in front of a building with large sliding doors and a NASA logo centered on the forward wall. The building is the new X-59 hangar.

    From the beginning of NASA’s work to bring its quiet supersonic X-59 aircraft from the drawing board into reality, the agency’s team knew they also needed to make a home for it. But at nearly 100 feet long and 30 feet wide, not just any hangar would do. So, while the experimental aircraft was being […]

  • X-59 Adds Freedom 250 Logo

    A close-up of NASA's X-59 tail showing a NASA graphic on the tail. "X-59" on the side of the jet engine, and a Freedom 250 logo toward the front of the engine.

    A new look for X-59 NASA’s X-59 is helping the nation celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence with an update to its livery – its official paint job and insignia. The X-59 has sported a Freedom 250 logo on its engine since its second flight, and it will continue showing off the new detail […]

  • Latest NASA X-59 Flights Go Higher and Faster

    NASA’s X-59 flies above the Mojave Desert on a clear day. The white aircraft has light gray, red, and blue accents, with a NASA logo and the number 859 on its tail. It appears flying level over the desert landscape, with a mountain range visible on the horizon and a trail of clouds above.

    NASA’s X-59 experimental aircraft has made its highest and fastest flights so far, expanding its operational range and making progress toward supersonic flight. In a pair of test flights on April 10 and April 14, the aircraft reached new altitudes and speeds, reaching 43,000 feet and 528 to 627 mph (approximately Mach 0.8 to 0.95 […]

  • 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.

    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 […]