NASA’s Quesst Mission Marks X-59’s Historic First Flight

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft took off on its historic maiden flight on October 28, 2025, at 11:14 a.m. EDT, from Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California. The one-of-a-kind aircraft flew for 67 minutes before landing and taxiing to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

NASA test pilot Nils Larson flew the X-59 to an altitude of about 12,000 feet and an approximate top speed of 230 mph, exactly as designed. The plane’s landing gear remained extended throughout the flight, a common practice for experimental aircraft flying for the first time.

Now that the X-59’s first flight is planned, the team is focused on preparing for a series of test flights in which the aircraft will operate at higher altitudes and supersonic speeds. This test flight phase of NASA’s Quesst mission will ensure that the X-59 meets performance and safety expectations.

Through the Quesst mission, NASA aims to usher in a new era of quiet supersonic flight, achieved through the X-59’s unique design and technology in future supersonic transport aircraft.

Image credit: NASA/Lori Losey