NASA performs first taxi tests of experimental X-59 supersonic demonstrator 

NASA has started taxi tests of its new X-59 supersonic experimental aircraft, marking the first time that the X-59 has moved under its own power. 

On July 17, 2025, the United States space agency shared footage and images of the aircraft moving at slow speeds on the ground at Armstrong Flight Research Center, within the grounds of Edwards Air Force Base, California. 

The X-59 is being developed jointly by NASA and Lockheed Martin specifically for the ‘Quesst mission’, which intends to research ways to mitigate the sonic boom produced by supersonic flight. 

The field of civilian supersonic flight is experiencing a revival after decades constrained by strict noise regulations. Private companies such as Boom Supersonic and Spike Aerospace are working on low-boom supersonic airliners.  

These efforts have been echoed at governmental and legislative levels in the US. On June 6, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order that would remove the blanket ban on overland civilian supersonic flights, moving to a system based on specific noise thresholds instead. A number of legislators are also promoting a bill that would enshrine these changes into law. 

Projects like the X-59 aim to collect the sorts of data that would facilitate the determination of these noise thresholds. To this end, NASA has stated that the results of this research are to be shared with US and international regulators. 

The next stage in the X-59 program will be the aircraft’s maiden flight, which should take place at a still unspecified date in the near future. The post NASA performs first taxi tests of experimental X-59 supersonic demonstrator  appeared first on AeroTime.

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