NASA gets new F-15 fighter jet to chase its X-59 ‘quiet’ supersonic aircraft
When you purchase through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Oregon Air National Guard ground crew guide one of NASA’s newest F-15 aircraft onto the ramp at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. | Credit: NASA/Christopher LC Clark
NASA just got a boost in its quest to unlock “quiet” supersonic flight with a pair of retired US Air Force F-15 jets.
The former fighter jets are the newest members of the agency’s flight research fleet, headquartered at NASA Headquarters. Armstrong Flight Research Center in the Mojave Desert in California. The F-15s will now be used to support research flights of the new “Silent” supersonic plane X-59an aircraft designed to fly at supersonic speeds without producing the thunderous noises typically associated with breaking the sound barrier. If such an aircraft could be built and commercialized, it could dramatically reduce flight times across the continental United States and revolutionize several industries that depend on rapid response times.
The F-15 aircraft will be used to support the X-59 test campaign and overall mission. “These two aircraft will enable the X-59 to collect data and continue aircraft capabilities throughout the life of the Low Boom Flight Demonstration Project,” Troy Asher, director of flight operations at NASA Armstrong, said in a statement. an announcement. One of the jets will fly again as a NASA plane, now used for research. The other F-15 will be used to manufacture parts to support the fleet. Both were delivered to NASA in December 2025.
NASA has already used F-15s to carry sensors which measure the differences in atmospheric pressure caused by the shock waves produced by the X-59 when it breaks the sound barrier, and to fly researchers equipped with Schlieren photographic systems. These specialized cameras can detect changes in air pressure and allow scientists to view air moving away from the X-59 as it flies.
Two NASA F-15 aircraft sit on the ramp at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. | Credit: NASA/Genaro Vavuris
NASA’s plan is to modify one of the F-15 planes with new equipment and software, so that it can be specialized for research. Most commercial aircraft fly between 9 and 12 km above sea level, but the F-15 can maintain a much higher altitude.
Currently, the X-59 cruises at 55,000 feet (17 km) for its test flights, according to NASA, and a specially equipped F-15 aircraft can follow the
These aircraft will continue a long tradition of using F-15s for research. “NASA has been flying F-15s since some of the first models came out in the early 1970s,” Asher said. “Dozens of scientific experiments have been performed over the decades on NASA F-15s and have made significant contributions to aeronautics and high-speed flight research.”
A NASA F-15 aircraft sits 20 feet to the left side of the X-59 aircraft, with a white hangar and hills in the background, during electromagnetic interference testing. | Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas
After numerous tests, the X-59 flew for the first time in October last year, Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the X-59, said the plane “performed exactly as expected.”
If you’re wondering what it looks like when an experimental supersonic plane flies through the sky, watch this videowhich traces the historic first flight of the X-59.
