NASA test pilot Mike Lippert flew the agency's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft for the first time on Oct. 21, 2026, according to an agency image article published Oct. 26. He took off from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and landed one hour later.

The flight followed scheduled maintenance and a review of the aircraft's systems after what NASA described as the X-59's busiest week of testing to date. The X-59 has flown numerous times since its inaugural flight in November 2025, and its first supersonic flight took place on June 5, 2026.

The article included a photo of Lippert taken ahead of the flight, credited to NASA/Carla Escamilla.