WORLDTECHNASA test pilot Mike Lippert makes first flight in X-59 supersonic aircraft
Full credit
File:Meet NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke, Crew-11 Pilot (jsc2025m000138).webm / NASA Johnson Space Center / This image or video was catalogued by Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Photo ID: jsc2025m000138_Crew11FinckeProfile_4K . / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meet_NASA_Astronaut_Mike_Fincke,_Crew-11_Pilot_(jsc2025m000138).webmSource pageNASA test pilot Mike Lippert has flown the agency's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft for the first time, according to NASA's own news release. The flight adds a new pilot to a programme whose test aircraft has already flown many times.
Lippert's first flight in the X-59
Lippert departed from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and touched down one hour later. NASA published a photograph of him ahead of the flight, which is the only image detail the agency's release provides.
The aircraft's flight record so far
The X-59 has flown repeatedly since its inaugural flight in November 2025. Its first supersonic flight came on June 5, 2026, marking the point at which the aircraft began to exceed the speed of sound.
Who is behind the programme
NASA, founded in 1958, is a public and space exploration organisation. The information about the flight comes from the agency's own news releases, so it reflects NASA's account rather than an independent assessment.
Open questions
- How many flights has Lippert made in the X-59 since his first?
- What research goals are the X-59's test flights designed to meet?