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The X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above California. The plane has a distinctive shape with a long, sharply pointed nose. The nose is silver, while the rest of the body looks white. The words "NASA" and "X-59" are on the body of the aircraft. In the background, we can see brown earth below the plane as well as hazy mountains in the distance.
A colorized schlieren image (red and black) of a small-scale model of NASA’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) airplane taken inside the 8- by- 6-foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel during a recent boom test.
A view from a window looking into the 8- by 6-foot supersonic wind tunnel viewing a model of the future concept supersonic aircraft model.

Quesst Media Resources

The Quesst mission offers resources to the public and news media such as fact sheets and infographics to provide greater understanding of the X-59 vehicle, supersonic flight, and what is required to fly faster than sound over land. Find much of that content here.

Learn More About the Quesst Mission about Quesst Media Resources

Media contact

Kristen Hatfield

Phone

757.817.5522

email

kristen.m.hatfield@nasa.gov

Toolkit

X-59 First Flight Toolkit

Welcome to the official media toolkit for the first flight of NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft — a historic milestone in aviation innovation.

This toolkit offers a collection of resources to help you share the story of the X-59’s inaugural flight. From newly released b-roll to photos, you’ll find content on the X-59’s recent first flight here.

View the X-59 First Flight Toolkit about X-59 First Flight Toolkit
Two maintainers in white protective suits, air tanks, masks, rubber gloves, and boots check NASA’s X-59 hydrazine system during a hydrazine safety check at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The sky is slightly overcast, with some sunlight rays beginning to peek out from behind the clouds. The aircraft has a panel open, a ladder positioned on the right side of its fuselage, and air ducts extending from the aircraft into a service cart.
Maintainers perform a hydrazine safety check on the agency’s quiet supersonic X-59 aircraft at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, on Aug. 18, 2025. Hydrazine is a highly toxic chemical, but it serves as a critical backup to restart the engine in flight, if necessary, and is one of several safety features being validated ahead of the aircraft’s first flight.
Lockheed Martin

Media Resources

A vector graphic showing the concept of operations for the three phases.

Quesst Timeline

View the Quesst Timeline
A blue and pink background of clouds with a white circle in the middle and the X-59 artist illustration in flight. Below it the text says, Quesst Quiet Supersonic Flight over land.

Quesst Overview

Visit Quesst Overview
Artist illustration of the X-59 in flight over water and land.

Quesst One-Pager

Read the Quesst One-Pager
Artist illustration of the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology aircraft in flight.

Top Things to Know About Quesst

Read the Top Things to Know About Quesst
A specification diagram showing the measurements of the vehicle, configuration C612 and Control surfaces.

X-59 Configuration

View the X-59 Configuration
Map of the United States showing states that contribute to the X-59. (WA, OR, CA, AZ, TX, KS, MN, IA, MO, MS, TN, GA, FL,NC, VA, MD, DC, DE, PA, NY, NJ, RI, NH, VT, CT, MA, IN, OH, MI. Also showing a small map of Canada and the UK.

Companies Contributing to the X-59

View the Companies Contributing to X-59

Just How Quiet Will NASA's X-59 be?

Read Just How Quiet NASA's X-59 will be

Quesst Mission Image Gallery

92 Images
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Quesst mission videos

Quesst Videos

Learn more about the Quesst mission, as well as earlier research NASA has done on faster-than-sound flight. Plus, watch the remarkable set of videos called “The Quiet Crew,” an ongoing series of spotlight videos about the individuals who are part of the Quesst team.

Watch Supersonic Videos on YouTube
special report

NASA, Lockheed Martin Debut Quesst Mission's X-59

NASA and Lockheed Martin formally debuted the agency’s X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft on Jan. 12, 2024, at a ceremony in California. Read about the event, watch the video, and learn more about the origins and assembly of the X-59 in this special feature report.

Learn More
Members of an audience lift their phones to snap a photo of the recently revealed X-59 aircraft. The plane's long, sharp nose appears to jut out towards the audience.
NASA and Lockheed Martin publicly unveil the X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft at a ceremony in Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to solve one of the major barriers to supersonic flight over land, currently banned in the United States, by making sonic booms quieter.
NASA/Steve Freeman

Biographies

Meet the visionary leaders and fearless pilots behind NASA’s quiet supersonic revolution—discover the people turning once-impossible dreams into the next era of aviation.

Peter Coen, Quesst Integration Manager

Peter Coen

Quesst Mission Integration Manager

Read Peter Coen's Bio
Portrait of Catherine M. Bahm

Catherine M. Bahm

Low Boom Flight Demonstrator Project Manager

Read Catherine Bahm's Bio
Portrait of Brian J. Griffin

Brian J. Griffin

Low Boom Flight Demonstrator Project Deputy Ops Lead

Read Brian Griffin's Bio
Portrait of NASA Pilot David Nils Larson.

David Nils Larson

NASA Pilot

Read Nils Larson's Bio
Portrait of NASA Pilot James L. Less.

James L. Less

NASA Pilot

Read James Less' Bio

Quesst Mission Press Releases

Official NASA news releases related to the Quesst mission are listed here.
NASA Grants to Engage Students in Quiet Supersonic Community Overflight
2 min read

NASA has issued new grants to five universities to help develop education plans for the community overflight phase of the…

News Release
NASA, Lockheed Martin Reveal X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft
4 min read

NASA and Lockheed Martin formally debuted the agency’s X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft Friday. Using this one-of-a-kind experimental airplane, NASA aims…

News Release
NASA Selects Contractor for Quiet Supersonic Flight Community Testing
2 min read

NASA has awarded a contract to Harris Miller Miller & Hanson Inc. of Burlington, Massachusetts, to support a national campaign…

News Release

B-roll Video Footage

View high-quality B-roll footage of NASA’s X-59 experimental aircraft.

X-59 in flight

First Flight B-roll

October 28, 2025

View First Flight B-Roll
NASA’s X-59 lead test pilot Nils Larson sits in the cockpit of the X-59 wearing a helmet and tan flight suit under a green G-suit. The X-59’s canopy is partially raised, and Larson can be seen reaching up with his left hand to close it. The Quesst mission logo is visible on the aircraft’s fuselage and the background sky has a soft purple and pink color from the early light.

Taxi Test B-roll

July 21, 2025

View Taxi Text B-roll

X-59 Rollout Reveal Video

Jan. 12, 2024

View X-59 Rollout Reveal Video

Learn More and Get Involved

Artist illustration of the X-59 in flight over water and land.

Quesst STEM Resources

Explore hands-on activities, interactive lesson plans, educator guides, and other downloadable content about the X-59 and supersonic flight.

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