{"id":256018,"date":"2026-06-05T02:19:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T02:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/256018\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T02:19:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T02:19:11","slug":"nasa-experimental-x-59-could-slash-la-to-nyc-flights-to-under-3-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/256018\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA experimental X-59 could slash LA-to-NYC flights to under 3 hours"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cross-country travel could one day look very different if NASA\u2019s<\/a> newest experimental aircraft lives up to its promise as its prepares to make history in the California desert. <\/p>\n

The agency\u2019s X-59, a futuristic jet designed to fly faster<\/a> than the speed of sound while dramatically reducing the noise that has plagued supersonic aircraft for decades, is now preparing to begin a new block of test flights that will include its first supersonic flights.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlying at supersonic speeds is a major milestone for the X-59 team<\/a>,\u201d project manager Cathy Bahm said.<\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s X-59 Quesst aircraft taking off from Runway 7 in Palmdale, California. REUTERS<\/p>\n

The experimental quiet supersonic aircraft X-59 is parked on tarmac in Palmdale, California. via REUTERS<\/p>\n

The cutting-edge jet is being pushed to the limit at the US Air Force\u2019s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, where engineers are putting its critical safety systems through a gauntlet of tests.<\/p>\n

With the final round of safety checks now underway, the aircraft is closing in on a major breakthrough \u2014 its long-awaited first supersonic flights.<\/p>\n

The experimental aircraft is expected to reach speeds up to Mach 1.6, or about 1,218 mph during its tests.<\/p>\n

At its mission-conditioning target, it is designed to fly at Mach 1.4 (about 925 mph).<\/p>\n

The X-59 Quesst supersonic aircraft in flight against a blue sky. REUTERS<\/p>\n

The X-59 Quesst aircraft, a quiet supersonic jet, flying in a blue sky. REUTERS<\/p>\n

At those speeds, the roughly 2,450-mile trip between Los Angeles and New York City could theoretically be completed in about two and a half hours, potentially cutting today\u2019s typical five-to-six-hour journey by more than half.<\/p>\n

NASA is developing the X-59 as part of an effort to prove that supersonic travel can be quieter and more practical than previous generations of high-speed aircraft.<\/p>\n

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The X-59 experimental quiet supersonic aircraft in a hangar with its rear illuminated by lights. via REUTERS<\/p>\n

Rather than producing the thunderous sonic boom traditionally associated with breaking the sound barrier, the aircraft has been engineered to create a much softer \u201cthump.\u201d<\/p>\n

The jet has drawn comparisons to Concorde, the iconic supersonic airliner that once carried passengers across the Atlantic at speeds of up to Mach 2.04, or 1,354 mph (2,179 kph).<\/p>\n

British Airways Concorde SST on a barge on the Hudson River. Getty Images<\/p>\n

Concorde could reach New York from London in roughly three hours before being retired.<\/p>\n

Based on the X-59\u2019s projected performance range, a nonstop London-to-New York flight could still take about three hours and 44 minutes.<\/p>\n

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NASA\u2019s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft taxiing on a runway. NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center<\/p>\n

The perspective from the cockpit of NASA\u2019s X-59 experimental aircraft as it takes off. NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center<\/p>\n

The upcoming flight campaign will mark a major step for a program aimed at reopening the door to supersonic travel over populated areas, something that has remained largely out of reach for decades because of noise concerns.<\/p>\n

The NASA X-59 has logged a total of 15 subsonic test flights to date, and engineers are currently prepping the aircraft for its first supersonic breakthrough in early June.<\/p>\n

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