Commercial Supersonic Technology

Aeronautics

High-Speed Flight

Quesst (X-59)

There’s No Place Like NASA’s New X-59 Hangar Home

There’s no sign reading “home sweet home” in the hangar where the X‑59 now sits, but the sentiment is unmistakable among those tending to the quiet supersonic aircraft. Located at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, the X-59 hangar was built in 1968 but looks like new thanks to a full renovation and […]

Posted April 28, 2026

Advanced Air Vehicles Program

Aeronautics Technology

Ames Research Center

Glenn Research Center

High-Speed Flight

NASA Aircraft

Quesst (X-59)

NASA’s X-59 Prepares for Second Flight

NASA’s X-59 experimental aircraft is preparing for its second flight, a step that will set the pace for more flight testing in 2026. Over the coming months, NASA will take the quiet supersonic jet faster and higher, while validating safety and performance, a process known as envelope expansion. NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less will be at the X-59’

Posted March 17, 2026

Aeronautics

Ames Research Center

Flight Demos Capabilities

Glenn Research Center

Quesst (X-59)

NASA Adds Two F-15 Aircraft to Support Supersonic Flight Research

Two retired U.S. Air Force F-15 jets have joined the flight research fleet at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, transitioning from military service to a new role enabling breakthrough advancements in aerospace.

Posted January 15, 2026

Advanced Air Mobility

Airborne Science

Flight Demos Capabilities

Quesst (X-59)

STEM Engagement at NASA

Ultra-Efficient Aviation

NASA Armstrong Advances Flight Research and Innovation in 2025

In 2025, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, advanced work across aeronautics, Earth science, exploration technologies, and emerging aviation systems, reinforcing its role as one of the agency’s primary test sites for aeronautics research.

Posted December 22, 2025

Aeronautics

NASA Aircraft

Quesst (X-59)

NASA’s X-59 Completes First Flight, Prepares for More Flight Testing

After years of design, development, and testing, NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft took to the skies for the first time Oct. 28, marking a historic moment for the field of aeronautics research and the agency’s Quesst mission. The X-59, designed to fly at supersonic speeds and reduce the sound of loud sonic booms to […]

Posted November 20, 2025

Aeronautics

Advanced Air Vehicles Program

Ames Research Center

Glenn Research Center

Quesst (X-59)

NASA X-59’s Latest Testing Milestone: Simulating Flight from the Ground

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft successfully completed a critical series of tests in which the airplane was put through its paces for cruising high above the California desert – all without ever leaving the ground. “The idea behind these tests is to command the airplane’s subsystems and flight computer to function as if it […]

Posted May 16, 2025

Aeronautics

Quesst (X-59)

NASA Calibrates Second Shock-Sensing Probe for X-59 Testing

When you’re testing a cutting-edge NASA aircraft, you need specialized tools to conduct tests and capture data –but if those tools need maintenance, you need to wait until they’re fixed. Unless you have a backup. That’s why NASA recently calibrated a new shock-sensing probe to capture shock wave data when the agency’s X-59 quiet supersonic […]

Posted April 18, 2025

Aeronautics

Quesst (X-59)

NASA’s X-59 Completes ‘Cruise Control’ Engine Speed Hold Test

The team behind NASA’s X-59 completed another critical ground test in March, ensuring the quiet supersonic aircraft will be able to maintain a specific speed during operation. The test, known as engine speed hold, is the latest marker of progress as the X-59 nears first flight this year. “Engine speed hold is essentially the aircraft’s […]

Posted March 26, 2025

Aeronautics

Quesst (X-59)