NASA’s experimental X-59, developed with Lockheed Martin, departed Edwards, California, on 28 October for its first cross-country journey, heading to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The flight began on the first anniversary of the aircraft’s maiden flight and comes ahead of its expected appearance at NASA’s MAX POWER event on 7–8 November. Stops on the route included El Paso and Fort Worth, Texas, and Birmingham, Alabama.
The journey takes the aircraft beyond its California test area after a year of flight-envelope expansion for NASA’s Quesst mission. The X-59 has completed 40 flights since its first flight, reaching more than 56,000 feet and a maximum speed of Mach 1.53.
At Kennedy, the aircraft is expected to be shown to the public. NASA’s next planned test phase is acoustic validation, which will assess the sound produced by the X-59 during its intended quieter-than-conventional supersonic flight. The programme aims to collect data that could inform regulators considering future commercial supersonic flights over land.