NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies over the Mojave Desert in California in this April 14, 2026, image. The transition to flying with wheels up is a key milestone and an important step in the experimental aircraft’s test campaign.

The X-59 has made its highest and fastest flights so far, expanding its operational range and making progress toward supersonic flight. In future flights, the team will also be looking at factors like the performance of its controls, loads and structural dynamics, and subsystems including hydraulics, fuel, avionics, landing gear, and more. They will also be monitoring the performance of the eXternal Vision System, the series of cameras located on the X-59 connected to a display in the cockpit. The system takes the place of a traditional forward windscreen.

NASA’s Quesst mission, which features the one-of-a-kind X-59 aircraft, will demonstrate technology to fly supersonic, or faster than the speed of sound, without generating loud sonic booms.

Keep up with the latest X-59 news on the NASA Quesst blog.

Image credit: NASA