NASA’s experimental X-59 supersonic aircraft reaches a major milestone on June 5, flying faster than the speed of sound for the first time. Multiple outlets report that the aircraft’s first supersonic flight follows earlier test flights that brought it near Mach speeds and that the team uses the initial event to set up later demonstrations of the jet’s quieter supersonic performance. According to NASA, test pilot Jim “Clue” Less took off and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA reports the flight began at 11:08 a.m. PDT and lasted 81 minutes, with the crew focusing on the aircraft’s flight qualities in both subsonic and then supersonic regimes. The X-59 reaches a top speed of roughly Mach 1.1 (about 713 mph) and a reported altitude of around 43,400 feet. The X-59 is designed to reduce the disruptive impact of sonic booms by producing a much quieter “thump” during supersonic flight. NASA and other outlets also note that the program plans to fly the aircraft over multiple U.S. communities later to demonstrate the noise characteristics of the quiet supersonic approach.