Overview
- NASA said the experimental jet took off from Edwards Air Force Base at 10:54 a.m. PDT and landed at 11:03 a.m. following a return‑to‑base call.
- Test pilot Jim “Clue” Less reported a vehicle‑system warning several minutes after takeoff and landed the aircraft safely after roughly eight to nine minutes aloft.
- Program leaders said the sortie still yielded useful data on handling, braking, and onboard systems, and the aircraft has been moved into the hangar for evaluation.
- Associate Administrator Bob Pearce called the early landing the correct decision for flight test safety, and project manager Cathy Bahm characterized the finding as normal for early testing.
- The flight had been intended to begin envelope expansion from about 230 mph at 12,000 feet toward 260 mph at 20,000 feet, with dozens of incremental tests in 2026 leading to acoustic validation and community overflights to inform regulators.