The X-59 flew 72 minutes. Mach 1.2. A chase plane stayed with it.

The X-59 left Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Aug. 21 and stayed up 72 minutes.

It reached Mach 1.2. About 49,000 feet. A chase plane flew with it, as on every test so far. That was flight 25.

NASA posted the account on Sept. 4 under the headline “NASA’s X-59 Aircraft Builds Momentum Through 25th Flight.” The post said: “The X-59’s 25th flight took place Aug. 21, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. It lasted a total of 72 minutes with the aircraft reaching Mach 1.2 and approximately 49,000 feet.” “Like all of its test flights so far, the X-59 was accompanied by a chase plane to monitor it.”

Cathy Bahm runs the Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project. “Through our ongoing flight tests with the X-59, we’ve gained invaluable insights into both the aircraft’s performance and the unique challenges of the aircraft design,” she said. “Every flight brings us closer to transitioning to the next phase where we will demonstrate the X-59’s quiet supersonic flight capabilities.”

Larry Cliatt leads acoustic validation for the Quesst mission. “This is the phase we’ve been working toward,” he said. “Building and flying a brand-new aircraft is an extraordinary accomplishment, but the next phase is where the real research begins.”

Later this year NASA wants to measure the quiet sonic “thump” the jet is built to make, from the ground and from the air. The first community overflight date is not set in this post.