For the first time, NASA's experimental aircraft X-59 has completed a supersonic flight, reaching a speed of approximately Mach 1.1 (1,147 km/h) and an altitude of 13,228 meters. The flight took place on Friday at Edwards Air Force Base in California and lasted 81 minutes, piloted by Jim 'Clue' Less.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman thanked the NASA and Lockheed Martin teams for their contributions to this innovative project. The X-59 is designed to fly at supersonic speeds, generating a dull noise instead of the traditional sonic boom. An F-15 chase plane monitored the flight, covering the sounds produced by the X-59.
This flight comes after a series of tests, and soon, the aircraft will perform a flight in 'mission conditions', reaching a cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (1,489 km/h) at an altitude of approximately 16,764 meters.
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