In a landmark moment nearly ten years in the making, NASA’s supersonic jet, often referred to as the ‘Son of Concorde,’ has successfully taken to the skies for its inaugural test flight.

The impressive 100-foot jet, valued at $247 million and constructed by Lockheed Martin for NASA, embarked on its maiden voyage from Palmdale Regional Airport in California around 10:15 a.m. EDT on Tuesday.

After spending approximately an hour circling in oval patterns, the aircraft smoothly touched down at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, situated 25 miles northeast of its takeoff location.

During the flight, the jet reached a maximum altitude of 12,000 feet (3,660 meters), which is notably less than half of a typical commercial airliner’s cruising height. However, experts are optimistic that it will eventually soar to altitudes of 55,000 feet (16,800 meters).

Known officially as the X-59, this manned aircraft is engineered to pioneer the path for accelerated air travel, achieving supersonic speeds of up to 925 mph.

At such a speed, it could transport paying passengers from London to New York in under four hours – revolutionizing the industry and freeing up time for busy businesspeople and holidaymakers.

‘We are thrilled to achieve the first flight of the X-59,’ said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division. 

‘This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of quiet supersonic technology development.’ 

Lockheed Martin, in partnership with NASA, successfully completed the first flight of the X-59, a quiet supersonic aircraft designed to pave the way for faster commercial air travel

The 100-foot, $247million plane, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, took off from Palmdale Regional Airport in California at about 10:15 EDT on Tuesday

According to Lockheed Martin, X-59 performed ‘exactly as planned’ prior to its safe landing at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. 

However, the single-engine jet only reached speeds of 230mph, which is nowhere near its top speed of 925mph – much faster than the speed of sound (767mph). 

Further test flights in the coming months will ‘expand the X-59’s flight envelope’ and get closer to the plane’s top flying speed, the aerospace company said. 

Despite being short of the all-important speed threshold, experts hailed this latest milestone as ‘a new era in supersonic flight’. 

Sean Duffy, Secretary of the Department of Transportation and acting NASA administrator, called the experimental plane ‘a symbol of American ingenuity’. 

He said: ‘The American spirit knows no bounds. It’s part of our DNA – the desire to go farther, faster, and even quieter than anyone has ever gone before. 

‘This work sustains America’s place as the leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies.’ 

X-59 is dubbed ‘Son of Concorde’ because it would be the first passenger plane to fly at supersonic speeds (faster than the speed of sound) since the days of the retired Anglo-French liner over 20 years ago. 

On its first flight, NASA’s experimental quiet supersonic X-59 aircraft takes off from Runway 7 at Palmdale USAF Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, October 28

Once airborne, the single-engine jet reached speeds of 230mph, which is nowhere near its top speed of 925mph – faster than the speed of sound (767mph)

Further test flights in the coming months will ‘expand the X-59’s flight envelope’ and get closer to the plane’s top flying speed

One of the issues with Concorde that led to its retirement in 2003 was the ‘sonic booms’ it emitted as it flew. 

Described as sounding somewhere between a thunderclap and an explosion, sonic booms happen when shock waves from an object travelling through the air faster than the speed of sound merge together before they reach the ground. 

Concorde’s sonic booms were often described as unsettling by members of the public on the ground below, which meant Concorde never replaced slower, more conventional aircraft. 

In contrast, X-59’s thin, tapered nose accounts for almost a third of its length and breaks up the shock waves that usually result in a sonic boom, instead producing a quieter ‘thump’. 

Due to X-59’s odd configuration, the cockpit is located almost halfway down the length of the aircraft – and the craft does not have a forward-facing window. 

Instead, it’s fitted with the ‘eXternal Vision System’, a series of high-resolution cameras feeding a 4K monitor in the cockpit.

Eventually, NASA – which will be the primary user – will fly the aircraft over cities across the US, which are yet to be selected. 

It will collect feedback about the sound the X-59 generates and how people perceive it before providing the data to the Federal Aviation Administration. 

Dubbed ‘son of Concorde’, the agency’s new 100-foot-long plane is capable of cruising at 1.4 times the speed of sound, or 925 miles per hour

X-59 has been developed by American aerospace firm Lockheed Martin after being awarded the $247.5 million design contract by NASA in 2016 

NASA stresses that X-59 is one of its experimental crafts and is not a commercial airliner designed to carry passengers 

However, if supersonic flight proves to be feasible, bulkier next-gen versions fitted out with passenger seats could transport paying passengers just like Concorde did. 

For 50 years, the US prohibited supersonic flights because of disturbance caused by sonic booms to communities below, which was why Concorde was largely restricted to flights over the Atlantic – namely Paris to New York and London to New York.

The legendary plane was the world’s first supersonic airliner and operated for 27 years, but it was grounded in October 2003 largely due to high fuel costs, concern over its noise and a preference for lower fares over speed.

Ever since, no government or manufacturer has since been able to build a commercial plane that can travel faster than the speed of sound – although Lockheed Martin is not the only one trying. 

Another American company called Boom Supersonic is working on its own supersonic craft, called Overture, which is eyeing commercial passenger flights in 2029. 

Meanwhile, China is working on its own experimental supersonic plane, called Yunxing, which could go at three times that of X-59.  

The history of Concorde  

Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet that was operated from 1976 until 2003.

It had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 (1,354mph or 2,180k per hour at cruise altitude) and could seat 92 to 128 passengers.

It was first flown in 1969, but needed further tests to establish it as viable as a commercial aircraft. Concorde entered service in 1976.

It is one of only two supersonic transports to have been operated commercially. The other is the Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144, which ran as a passenger aircraft only for a few years in the 1970s due to safety issues.

Concorde was the world’s first supersonic airliner and operated for 27 years, but it was grounded in October 2003. Pictured is British Airways Concorde G-BOAB taking off with its landing gear still extended over the Cotswolds town of Fairford, Gloucestershire on July 20, 1996, during the annual RAF Fairford airshow

Concorde was jointly developed and manufactured by Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) under an Anglo-French treaty. Concorde’s name, meaning harmony or union, reflected the cooperation on the project between the UK and France.   

Concorde was retired in 2003 due to a general downturn in the commercial aviation industry after its only crash in 2000, the September 11 attacks in 2001, and a decision by Airbus, the successor to Aérospatiale and BAC, to discontinue maintenance support. 

It wasn’t the first plane to break the sound barrier, however; that achievement was managed by the Bell X-1, piloted by Chuck Yeager, in October 1947.

The legendary rocket engine-powered aircraft, designed and built in 1945, achieved a speed of 700 miles (1,127 kilometers) per hour.