The X-59’s engine was started for the first time for testing.

NASA’s Quesst (“Quiet SuperSonic Technology”) mission recently reached a key milestone by beginning testing the engine that will power the X-59, an experimental supersonic aircraft developed by Skunk work for NASA’s Low Boom Flight Demonstration Project.

Initial engine testing, which began Oct. 30, 2024, at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, allows the X-59 team to confirm that all of the aircraft’s systems are working together under the power of its own motor, unlike previous tests which depended on external power sources. These engine tests are an essential step toward preparing the X-59 for its first flight.

According to NASA, testing is done in stages, with the first phase involving rotating the engine at low speed without ignition to check for leaks and ensure all systems are communicating properly. After checking these systems, the team refueled the aircraft and began low-power engine testing to ensure smooth operation without problems or leaks.

Jay Brandon, chief engineer of NASA’s X-59, explained:

This first phase of engine testing was a warm-up to confirm that everything looked good before running the engine.

We then proceeded with the initial engine start, which took the engine out of preservation mode since it was installed. This first start-up was an opportunity to ensure that the engine and associated systems, such as hydraulic, electrical and environmental controls, were all operating as designed.

Supersonic air transport disappeared with the end of the ex-Soviet supersonic transport Tupolev Tu-144 and the famous joint Franco-English Concorde SST built by Aérospatiale/BAC. The Soviets had little success with their SST program, which preceded Concorde’s first flight by three months but remained operational only from 1975 to 1978. Concord was much more successful, flying commercial flights from 1976 until 2003, when it was retired after a tragic accident on July 25, 2000 at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. At the time, neither program achieved a high degree of economic efficiency and both suffered from the constraints of traditional supersonic flight.

New low-boom technology, which uses an extended fuselage that (more or less) cuts out the sonic boom, should allow the X-59 to fly at 1.4 times the speed of sound, or 925 mph, at 55,000 feet, generating a dull noise that is quieter than the “traditional” undesirable and potentially damaging noise loud sonic boomswhich are prohibited for commercial flights during land flights.

For 50 years, the United States and other countries have banned such flights because of the disruption the loud and startling sonic booms cause to communities below. The to lift the ban on commercial supersonic land travel. imposed in 1973: according to NASA, the sonic boom generated by the new plane will be less than 75 dB perceived on the ground, or about a third less than the Concorde, which was reported around 100-110 dB.

The new low-boom technology, using an elongated fuselage to soften the sonic boom, aims to produce a softer “thud” rather than thump. loud booms this led to the banning of supersonic flights over land.

Powered by a modified F414-GE-100 engine with 22,000 pounds of thrust, the X-59 is expected to reach Mach 1.4, or 925 mph, at 55,000 feet. The engine’s unusual location above the aircraft helps reduce noise.

The pilot will fly the aircraft using a unique cockpit design without a conventional forward-facing window. Instead, a central 4K monitor acts as a “window,” giving the pilot a clear view of surrounding air traffic and providing visual guidance for approaches, landings and takeoffs. This monitor, a key part of the aircraft’s external visibility system (XVS), displays stitched images from two external cameras combined with terrain data from an advanced computer system. While the cockpit features real side windows and a traditional canopy to help the pilot maintain a view of the horizon, displays below the XVS screen provide essential information about the aircraft’s systems and trajectory. to ensure a safe flight.

In May of this year, an independent Flight Readiness Review Board, comprised of experts from various parts of NASA, completed the evaluation of the X-59 project team’s safety protocols to protect both the public and personnel during ground and flight testing. This review involved an in-depth review of the potential risk analysis carried out by the team, with particular attention to security measures and risk assessment.

The flight readiness review was a critical step in the initial phase of obtaining flight approval.

The latest engine tests are part of a wider series of ground checks essential to ensure safe and efficient flight. With these important testing stages underway, the first flight is planned for early 2025. The team will continue critical ground testing, resolving any technical issues that may arise with this unique aircraft, with the goal of determining a specific date for the first flight as a test. progresses.

Testing takes place at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. In later phases, the team will test the engine at higher power levels with rapid throttle changes and replicate real-world flight conditions.

Passing these tests represents the culmination of eight years of my career. This is just the beginning of our journey. It’s like hearing the first note of a symphony: years of teamwork are now being put to the test, and we can’t wait to see the project come to fruition as we move toward flight.

Paul Dees, NASA’s deputy propulsion manager for the X-59.

After engine testing, the X-59 team will conduct testing on aluminum birds, providing data on regular and simulated failure conditions. They will then conduct taxi tests, move the aircraft on the ground and complete the final steps leading to its maiden flight.

After the first flight, the X-59 will conduct its first silent supersonic test flight. The Quesst team will initially conduct several test flights at Skunk Works before moving the aircraft to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, which will become its primary base of operations. Once flight testing is successfully completed, NASA intends to fly the X-59 over several U.S. cities to collect data on the sound the aircraft produces and how it is perceived by people on the ground. This information will be shared with the Federal Aviation Administration and international regulators.