m. m. PDT after a return-to-base was called.
The aircraft is designed to fly supersonic while generating only a quiet thump instead of a loud sonic boom. 5, or about 990 mph (1,590 kph), and could potentially fly non-stop from London to New York in approximately three hours 44 minutes. Its relatively quiet flying should help solve the noise problem which has made such planes unsuitable for flying over populated areas.
Major media reports indicate the X-59 flew with its landing gear up for the first time on April 3 and has made eight flights as of April 10. NASA said the X-59 is set to accelerate testing in 2026, demonstrating performance and airworthiness during a process known as envelope expansion. According to major media, experimental aircraft typically make their earliest test flights with the landing gear down, then begin retracting it after successfully meeting performance benchmarks.