NASA X-59 Completes Two Flights in One Day at 43,000 Feet

NASA's X-59 aircraft completed two flights in a single day, reaching an altitude of 43,000 feet and near-supersonic speeds, according to a report from @MarioNawfal. The aircraft serves as the main platform for NASA's Quesst mission. The mission is designed to determine whether supersonic flight can be made quiet enough that people on the ground would not object to it.

Overland supersonic travel has been banned for decades. The Concorde, a supersonic passenger jet, was restricted to over-ocean routes because its sonic boom made it politically untenable for flight above populated areas. If the X-59 demonstrates that the sonic boom can be sufficiently reduced, the longstanding ban on overland supersonic flight could be reconsidered.

The successful completion of two flights in one day indicates that the aircraft hardware is performing reliably and that the data collection process is functioning as intended. The program is now gathering information that could shape future regulations on supersonic travel over land.

Supersonic passenger flights over populated areas have not been permitted in the United States since the ban took effect.