Mach 1.4 is about 924 mph. The milestone came days after the X-59’s first supersonic flight, which showed the aircraft performed as expected at Mach 1.1.
NASA said the June 12 mission conditions flight was an even more critical step for the program. The X-59 still has months of performance testing ahead before it begins its next major mission phase.
The aircraft’s team has been steadily expanding its flight envelope. The work includes evaluating performance at different speeds and altitudes and having pilots conduct a range of maneuvers.
The X-59 is designed to fly at supersonic speeds without creating a loud sonic boom. Instead, NASA’s Quesst mission aims to study the quieter sonic thump the aircraft is intended to produce.
Once performance testing is complete, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several U.S. communities. The agency will collect data on public perception of the aircraft’s quiet sonic thump during those overflights.
Those community flights will include operations at Mach 1.4 and 55,000 feet. The data gathered could help shape the future of commercial supersonic flight over land.
For early supersonic flights, the X-59 has been accompanied by a NASA F-15 research aircraft. NASA said the F-15 is a traditional supersonic jet that creates booms which obscure any noise made by the X-59.
During upcoming flights, a shock-sensing probe mounted to the F-15 will collect measurements of the X-59’s shock wave signature. NASA described this as an early measure of the aircraft’s supersonic performance.
After further tests at different altitudes and conditions, the X-59 will enter the acoustic validation phase of Quesst. In that phase, researchers will measure the aircraft’s supersonic acoustic signature to confirm it is performing as intended.
The acoustic validation work will focus on the quiet thump the X-59 is designed to make. NASA said each flight brings the agency closer to flying the aircraft over communities and gathering feedback for future supersonic aviation.
