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NASA’s Quiet Supersonic Jet Just Hit Another Major Milestone

2 hours ago

5 languages5 countries7 sources

AI summary

On June 12, 2026, NASA's X-59 experimental aircraft flew at Mach 1.4 (about 1,487 km/h) at an altitude of 16,800 meters, achieving the speed and altitude needed for its Quesst mission. This milestone follows its first supersonic flight on June 5 at Mach 1.1. The X-59 is designed to produce a quiet thump instead of a sonic boom, and will soon fly over U.S. communities to collect noise data.

How outlets framed it

All sources report the same milestone: NASA's X-59 reached Mach 1.4 and an altitude of about 16.8 km on June 12, 2026, preparing for its Quesst mission. The US framing emphasizes the technical milestone and the forthcoming public demonstration of a quiet 'thump,' while the French and Korean sources highlight the breaking of speed records and the validation of real flight conditions. Chinese coverage focuses on the plan to fly over residential areas and noise testing, while Russian sources stress the achievement of key performance targets and the goal of restoring supersonic civil aviation.

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