NASA's X-59 Quesst aircraft has successfully started its engine for the first time, bringing it closer to proving silent supersonic flight is possible.
Jay Brandon, chief engineer for the X-59 at NASA, described the engine run as a 'warmup' to ensure everything was functional before the full engine run.
The design team at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works creatively reuses decades-old aircraft components to keep the X-59 within its $247.5 million budget.
The ultimate goal of the X-59 is to transform the disruptive sonic boom of supersonic flight into a gentle thump, a significant engineering challenge.
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