# NASA's X-59 Set to Break the Sound Barrier for the First Time This Month, Targeting a Quiet 'Thump' Instead of a Boom

*2026-06-02 02:01 UTC · Science · 1 min read*

> NASA expects its quiet supersonic X-59 to exceed the speed of sound for the first time in early June, aiming to replace the sonic boom with a soft thump that could lift bans on overland supersonic flight.

NASA's experimental X-59 jet is expected to fly faster than sound for the first time in early June, exceeding 630 mph at roughly 43,000 feet during a planned series of test flights at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. A follow-up "mission conditions" flight will push the aircraft to Mach 1.4 (about 925 mph) at 55,000 feet.

The sleek jet is engineered to replace the thunderous sonic boom with a soft "thump" no louder than a car door closing — around 75 EPNdB, versus the 105-110 EPNdB roar of the retired Concorde. Its elongated nose and shaped airframe scatter shock waves before they reach the ground, and it has no forward windscreen at all: pilots fly using an external camera feed shown on an augmented-reality display.

"What comes next is the first time this one-of-a-kind aircraft will fly supersonic," said project manager Cathy Bahm. NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several U.S. cities and gather public reaction, hoping the data will persuade regulators to lift decades-old bans on supersonic flight over land and open the door to a new generation of fast commercial jets.

## Sources

- [nasa.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/armstrong/nasas-x-59-prepares-for-first-supersonic-flight/)
- [space.com](https://www.space.com/technology/aerospace/nasas-x-59-jet-is-ready-to-break-the-sound-barrier-for-the-1st-time-this-month)
- [sciencedaily.com](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260601025338.htm)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/1756-nasa-s-x-59-set-to-break-the-sound-barrier-for-the-first-time-this-month
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/1829-letoun-nasa-x-59-letos-v-cervnu-poprve-prolomi-zvukovou-barieru-misto-rachotu