Overview
- The X-59, which flew with landing gear retracted on April 3, completed a 90‑minute sortie to 20,000 feet at about 460 mph from NASA’s Armstrong base with test pilot Jim “Clue” Less at the controls.
- NASA says retracting the gear let engineers evaluate the jet’s long, tapered shape that reshapes shock waves so a loud sonic boom becomes a quieter thump on the ground.
- The program has logged eight flights as of April 10 as teams expand the test envelope and prepare for acoustic checks and community overflights.
- NASA plans to share human‑response and noise data with U.S. and international regulators who could consider revising overland supersonic bans if results show no disruptive ground‑level boom.
- A House bill passed by voice vote on March 24 would require the FAA to review its rules within a year for flights faster than Mach 1 over land when no boom reaches the ground.