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NASA's X-59 Breaks the Sound Barrier for the First Time -- Quietly

NASA's experimental X-59 QueSST aircraft broke the sound barrier for the first time in early June 2026, a milestone in a program designed to prove that supersonic flight over land can be made quiet enough for commercial use. The sleek jet, built by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division, is designed to replace the thunderous sonic boom with a soft 'thump' of just 75 decibels -- as loud as a car door closing -- compared with the 105-110 decibels produced by the Concorde. If the technology proves out, it could reopen US skies to supersonic passenger travel for the first time in more than 50 years.