NASA's experimental X-59 aircraft completed its first supersonic flight on Friday, marking a major milestone in the development of the agency's quiet supersonic technology.

The flight sets the stage for demonstrating the aircraft's quiet supersonic capabilities later this year, NASA said in a release published on its official website.

NASA test pilot Jim "Clue" Less took off and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, reaching a top speed of approximately Mach 1.1 (over 1,300 kph) and an altitude of 13.2 kilometers. The flight began at 11:08 a.m. and lasted 81 minutes, according to the release.

"X-59 is getting ready for its quiet supersonic debut. Since the aircraft's first flight on October 28, 2025, the team has made tremendous progress, flying 16 times in the last 90 days and getting into a steady test rhythm. In the coming days, we expect to take the next step and push to Mach 1.4," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said.

Over the past several months, the X-59 has been undergoing a series of flight tests at a wide range of speeds and altitudes, which represents the first phase of the aircraft's flight-test program that focuses on performance evaluation and involves chase plane monitoring, said the release.

The next phase of testing will focus on the X-59's sound profile to verify its quiet thump capability, it said.

The X-59 aircraft is designed to fly at supersonic speeds while creating only a quiet thump instead of a loud sonic boom. It is the centerpiece of NASA's Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and help enable commercial supersonic flight over land worldwide, said the release.