NASA test pilot Mike Lippert completed his first flight in the agency's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft, taking off Oct. 21, 2026, from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and landing one hour later, NASA reported on Oct. 22, 2026. During the flight he reached a maximum speed of Mach 1.4 and an altitude of 55,000 feet.

NASA said the X-59 has flown numerous times, but this was Lippert's first opportunity to fly an X-plane during more than 21 years of flying high-performance aircraft, including 11 years as a test pilot. The flight followed scheduled maintenance and a systems review after what NASA described as the aircraft's busiest week of testing, including six flights in three days in September. Lippert performed maneuvers to assess handling while the team evaluated systems.

Lippert prepared for months, completing his first engine run in August, logging simulator time and training alongside fellow NASA test pilots Nils Larson and Jim "Clue" Less. He said the flight was "very special" and described recognizing, during a descent and deceleration, that he was flying supersonic in an X-plane over the Mojave high deserts. NASA later corrected the number of years Lippert has been flying.