NASA's X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft Begins Taxi Tests
10 months ago
- #NASA
- #Aircraft Testing
- #Supersonic Flight
- NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft has started taxi tests, moving under its own power for the first time.
- The first low-speed taxi test was completed on July 10, 2025, at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, by NASA and Lockheed Martin teams.
- Taxi tests are the final ground tests before the X-59's first flight, with plans to gradually increase speed leading to a high-speed taxi test.
- Engineers monitored the X-59's handling, steering, and braking during low-speed tests to ensure stability and control.
- The X-59 is part of NASA's Quesst mission, aiming to reduce sonic booms to quieter 'thumps' and gather data for new noise regulations on supersonic commercial flights over land.