NASA\/Jacob Shaw<\/p>\n
NASA\u2019s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft has officially begun taxi tests, marking the first time this one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft has moved under its own power.<\/p>\n
NASA test pilot Nils Larson and the X-59 team, made up of NASA and contractor Lockheed Martin personnel, completed the aircraft\u2019s first low-speed taxi test at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, on July 10, 2025.<\/p>\n
The taxiing represents the X-59\u2019s last series of ground tests before first flight. Over the coming weeks, the aircraft will gradually increase its speed, leading up to a high-speed taxi test that will take the aircraft just short of the point where it would take off.<\/p>\n
During the low-speed tests, engineers and flight crews monitored how the X-59 handled as it moved across the runway, working to validate critical systems like steering and braking. These checks help ensure the aircraft\u2019s stability and control across a range of conditions, giving pilots and engineers confidence that all systems are functioning as expected. <\/p>\n