NASA's 'Silent' Supersonic Aircraft X-59 QueSST Completes Its Second Test Flight

At the end of October last year, the 'silent' supersonic aircraft NASA X-59 QueSST (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) successfully completed its first test flight following a series of ground tests to check the systems and prepare for such an important milestone. Now, months later, the U.S. space agency has announced the completion of the second test flight of this experimental supersonic aircraft developed in collaboration with Lockheed Martin.

According to reports, the NASA X-59 QueSST could conduct a dozen flights throughout 2026, significantly increasing its activity and gathering useful data for its development. The agency reported that the duration of this flight was shorter than expected due to an alert that lit up on the cockpit, which turned out to be a false positive after checks. Analyses indicated that the indicator that was activated was mounted incorrectly. The issue has been resolved and will not happen again during the third flight.

Cathy Bahm (project manager for NASA's Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator) stated that "despite the early landing, this is a good day for the team. We gathered more data, and the pilot landed safely. We look forward to flying again as soon as possible."

The takeoff occurred at 18:54 (Italian time) on March 26 from Edwards Air Force Base (located near NASA Armstrong headquarters). As mentioned earlier, test pilot Jim "Clue" Less saw an alarm triggered by the vehicle's systems leading to a landing at 19:03 after just a few minutes of flight. The same pilot remarked after the flight that "as we like to say, it was just like the simulator – and that’s what we like to hear. This is just the beginning of a long flight campaign."

As we know, the NASA X-59 QueSST is an experimental model not so much intended for the commercialization of a commercial vehicle but rather to assist other manufacturers in creating aircraft capable of flying at supersonic speeds while generating less noise and therefore potentially flying over populated areas.