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NASA's X-59 takes flight, advancing the quest for quiet supersonic travel over land

fastcompany.com — October 29, 2025 at 08:01 PM UTC

NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic jet successfully flew for the first time, a key step toward potentially reviving supersonic passenger travel over land. The experimental aircraft, designed to produce a quiet "thump" instead of a sonic boom, aims to gather data for regulators to reconsider bans on supersonic flight. This flight marks the start of a race to develop dominant supersonic designs. The X-59's unique shape is engineered to minimize shockwaves. Other contenders include Boom Supersonic's XB-1 and a Chinese design, with the future of supersonic flight depending on successful testing and regulatory approval.

With a significance score of 6.1, this news ranks in the top 0.2% of today's 32101 analyzed articles.

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