Watch Live: Rollout Of Supersonic Plane At Skunk Works Factory

Lockheed Martin Corp. and NASA will roll out the X-59 Quesst supersonic aircraft from the defense contractor’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, later this afternoon. 

Quest is NASA’s move to demonstrate how the X-59 can fly supersonic without generating loud sonic booms overhead metro areas. The design of the aircraft allows for sonic “thumps,” and data after flight trials will be shared with regulators to rewrite new sound-based rules for supersonic flight over land. 

If the X-59 proves successful and airlines integrate supersonic flight into commercial aviation, it has the potential to shorten flight times. Lockheed has stated that the X-59 can achieve speeds of 925 mph, which is considerably faster than the maximum speed of the Boeing 737 Max’s top cruise speed of 521 mph. 

Watch the live event here:

Supersonic commercial flight could return in the latter parts of this decade after the Concorde retired two decades ago.