After nearly ten years in development, NASA’s ambitious supersonic jet, known as the “Son of Concorde,” has successfully completed its inaugural test flight.

This 100-foot marvel, costing $247 million and crafted by Lockheed Martin for NASA, took to the skies from Palmdale Regional Airport in California around 10:15 a.m. EDT on Tuesday.

The aircraft spent approximately an hour performing oval circuits before safely touching down at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, located about 25 miles to the northeast.

During its flight, the jet achieved a maximum altitude of 12,000 feet (3,660 meters)—less than half the cruising altitude of a typical commercial airliner. However, experts are optimistic that it will eventually soar to 55,000 feet (16,800 meters).

Officially designated as the X-59, this manned aircraft is set to pioneer advancements in air travel, capable of reaching supersonic speeds of up to 925 mph.

At such velocities, the X-59 could potentially transport passengers from London to New York in under four hours, offering a groundbreaking shift in the aviation sector that promises to save valuable time for both business travelers and vacationers alike.

‘We are thrilled to achieve the first flight of the X-59,’ said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division. 

‘This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of quiet supersonic technology development.’ 

According to Lockheed Martin, X-59 performed ‘exactly as planned’ prior to its safe landing at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. 

However, the single-engine jet only reached speeds of 230mph, which is nowhere near its top speed of 925mph – much faster than the speed of sound (767mph). 

Further test flights in the coming months will ‘expand the X-59’s flight envelope’ and get closer to the plane’s top flying speed, the aerospace company said. 

Despite being short of the all-important speed threshold, experts hailed this latest milestone as ‘a new era in supersonic flight’. 

Sean Duffy, Secretary of the Department of Transportation and acting NASA administrator, called the experimental plane ‘a symbol of American ingenuity’. 

He said: ‘The American spirit knows no bounds. It’s part of our DNA – the desire to go farther, faster, and even quieter than anyone has ever gone before. 

‘This work sustains America’s place as the leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies.’ 

X-59 is dubbed ‘Son of Concorde’ because it would be the first passenger plane to fly at supersonic speeds (faster than the speed of sound) since the days of the retired Anglo-French liner over 20 years ago. 

One of the issues with Concorde that led to its retirement in 2003 was the ‘sonic booms’ it emitted as it flew. 

Described as sounding somewhere between a thunderclap and an explosion, sonic booms happen when shock waves from an object travelling through the air faster than the speed of sound merge together before they reach the ground. 

Concorde’s sonic booms were often described as unsettling by members of the public on the ground below, which meant Concorde never replaced slower, more conventional aircraft. 

In contrast, X-59’s thin, tapered nose accounts for almost a third of its length and breaks up the shock waves that usually result in a sonic boom, instead producing a quieter ‘thump’. 

Due to X-59’s odd configuration, the cockpit is located almost halfway down the length of the aircraft – and the craft does not have a forward-facing window. 

Instead, it’s fitted with the ‘eXternal Vision System’, a series of high-resolution cameras feeding a 4K monitor in the cockpit.

Eventually, NASA – which will be the primary user – will fly the aircraft over cities across the US, which are yet to be selected. 

It will collect feedback about the sound the X-59 generates and how people perceive it before providing the data to the Federal Aviation Administration. 

NASA stresses that X-59 is one of its experimental crafts and is not a commercial airliner designed to carry passengers 

However, if supersonic flight proves to be feasible, bulkier next-gen versions fitted out with passenger seats could transport paying passengers just like Concorde did. 

For 50 years, the US prohibited supersonic flights because of disturbance caused by sonic booms to communities below, which was why Concorde was largely restricted to flights over the Atlantic – namely Paris to New York and London to New York.

The legendary plane was the world’s first supersonic airliner and operated for 27 years, but it was grounded in October 2003 largely due to high fuel costs, concern over its noise and a preference for lower fares over speed.

Ever since, no government or manufacturer has since been able to build a commercial plane that can travel faster than the speed of sound – although Lockheed Martin is not the only one trying. 

Another American company called Boom Supersonic is working on its own supersonic craft, called Overture, which is eyeing commercial passenger flights in 2029. 

Meanwhile, China is working on its own experimental supersonic plane, called Yunxing, which could go at three times that of X-59.