'Son of Concorde' X-59 days from first flight – London to New York under 4 hours

'Son of Concorde' X-59 days from first flight – London to New York under 4 hoursNASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is completing final safety checks and could be days away from its historic maiden flight Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Dean Murray, Michael D. Carroll 00:10, Tue, Jun 2, 2026 Updated: 00:18, Tue, Jun 2, 2026 NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is currently undergoing final safety checks (Image: undefined)A so-called 'successor to Concorde' capable of flying from London to New York in under four hours is edging ever closer to its first flight. window.scriptsToLoad.push({url:'https://live.primis.tech/live/liveView.php?s=118222&vp_content=plembed3a6btjknzwqh&cbuster=%%CACHEBUSTER%%&playerApiId=v118222',triggeredBy:'tcfLoaded',delay:1500,containerId:'ovp-primis',title:"Primis player",beforeLoad:()=>{window.top.addEventListener('primisPlayerInit',e=>{try{if(e.detail&&e.detail.playerApiId==="v118222"){if(window.document.getElementsByClassName('jwplayer')[0]){e.detail.float('disable')}}}catch(e){}})},}) NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is currently undergoing final safety checks ahead of its historic inaugural journey. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Get the day's biggest headlines in UK and World news and more Subscribe Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy PolicyThe aircraft is anticipated to reach Mach 1.5, approximately 990 mph (1,590 kph), meaning it could potentially complete a nonstop transatlantic crossing from the UK capital to the Big Apple in roughly three hours and 44 minutes.Concorde boasted a maximum cruising speed of Mach 2.04, or 1,354 mph (2,179 kph), more than twice the speed of sou...