Putting the X-59 to the Test

Researchers from NASA and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently tested a model of scale of the X-59 experimental plane in a supersonic blower located in Chofu, Japan, to assess audible noise under the plane. The model can be seen in the blower in this image published on July 11, 2025.

The test was an important step for the unique X-59 of NASA, which is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound without causing a strong sound boom. When the X -59 flies, the sound below – the result of its pressure signature – will be a critical factor for what people hear in the field.

This marked the third cycle of blower tests for the X-59 model, after a previous test in Jaxa and the Glenn Research Center of NASA in Cleveland. Data will help researchers understand the noise level that will be created by shock waves produced by the X-59 at supersonic speeds.

Image credit: Jaxa