NASA pilot Mike Lippert completes his first X-59 flight over California
NASA test pilot Mike Lippert flew the X-59 for the first time on October 21, reaching Mach 1.4 and 55,000 feet during an hour-long sortie from Edwards, California. NASA reported the flight on October 22 as the experimental aircraft returned to testing after scheduled maintenance. The milestone concerns the pilot’s first flight in the aircraft, rather than the X-59’s first-ever flight.
News date: 2026-10-22 · Checked: 2026-10-26 (Asia/Bangkok)
NASA test pilot Mike Lippert flew the X-59 for the first time on October 21, reaching Mach 1.4 and 55,000 feet during an hour-long sortie from Edwards, California. NASA reported the flight on October 22 as the experimental aircraft returned to testing after scheduled maintenance. The milestone concerns the pilot’s first flight in the aircraft, rather than the X-59’s first-ever flight.
Three key points
- The sortie departed NASA Armstrong at Edwards on October 21.
- NASA reported a maximum Mach 1.4 and an altitude of 55,000 feet.
- The work assessed handling and aircraft systems following maintenance.
A new pilot joins the flight-test sequence
Lippert’s preparation included simulator work, an engine run in August and training alongside other NASA test pilots. The October sortie moved that preparation into an airborne test of the agency’s quiet supersonic research aircraft.
NASA said Lippert carried out maneuvers to assess handling while the team evaluated aircraft systems. The flight followed scheduled maintenance and a review of the aircraft’s systems.
What the California milestone establishes
The report documents a test flight and the maximum conditions NASA recorded during it. It does not announce passenger service, a commercial aircraft certification or a new permission for routine supersonic travel over US communities.
NASA described this as Lippert’s first opportunity to fly an X-plane. The photograph accompanying this article shows the X-59 and a chase aircraft in 2025; it is separate from the October 21, 2026 sortie.
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