Rollout of the X-59 Quesst Supersonic Plane

Watch the rollout of NASA's newly painted X-59 Quesst supersonic aircraft live from Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. Quesst is NASA's mission to demonstrate how the X-59 can fly supersonic without generating loud sonic booms, and then survey what people hear when it flies overhead. Reaction to the quieter sonic "thumps" will be shared with regulators who will then consider writing new sound-based rules to lift the ban on faster-than-sound flight over land.

What is said in the film

Everyone joining us here today and via livestream. Welcome to Palmdale, home of the legendary Lockheed Martin Skunkworks I’m Eric Fox of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. And I'm proud to be your emcee as we unveil the newest experimental aircraft we have been developing for NASA. We're pleased to have with us today distinguished guest Pam Melroy, NASA's deputy administrator, Jim Free, NASA's associate administrator. Don't be afraid to stand up and do a little queen wave.

It's okay. We're all we're all pulling for us. Dee Dee Myers representing Governor Gavin Newsom. Palmdale Mayor Austin Bishop. State Assemblyman Tom Lackey and representing State Senator Scott Wilk, Jack Danielson.

And finally, Greg Elmer, Executive Vice President, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and many other government. Lockheed and Nassau guests. For 80 years, the skunkworks team has innovated to develop state of the art capabilities and aircraft. It is an honor to be with be here with you today to witness a new chapter of this history as we celebrate the rollout of the x 59, a truly unique and revolutionary aircraft which is just behind this curtain. I know you all want to see it and we'll get to see it, but there are a few people who are eager to meet you first.

At this time, I'd like to welcome our host, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunkworks, John Clarke. Thank you. So good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the rollout ceremony for the 59. A one of a kind supersonic X plane designed and built right here in Palmdale, California. It's rare that we have the opportunity to host this many visitors at the skunkworks, and it's even more rare that we're able to publicly unveil one of our aircraft.

Today, we are witnessing history as we roll out the X-59, a unique experimental aircraft designed to quiet the supersonic boom. I want to emphasize the significance of this project and the genuine passion that drives our team at Skunkworks. Skunkworks has been a home of mine for nearly the entirety of my career. I consider myself extremely fortunate to work in an environment that fosters innovation and relentlessly pushes the boundaries of aerospace technology. The X-59 has a potential to shap the supersonic travel over land, cutting flight times in half of what they are today.

But the X-59 is not just about cutting edge advancements. It represents the best of our collective team and our unwavering commitment to make a positive difference in the world. I'm truly honored to be a part of this incredible journey surrounded by the best and the brightest of our industry. We're thrilled to take on this challenge alongside our suppliers and NASA who has been a great partner along the way, whose quiet, supersonic mission has a potential to transform commercial travel for the future. Across both teams, talented, dedicated and passionate scientists, engineers and production artisans have collaborated to develop and produce this aircraft.

This project is just one of an example of the broader ingenuity of our team as we continually strive to push the envelope of what's possible. I'm thrilled that you're all here today as we unveil the X-59 and celebrate this very significant program milestone. Thank you. An aircraft like this does not come together overnight. It takes years of collaboration with a dedicated team, a team willing to overcome unprecedented challenges and challenges that require leadership with vision.

It is my pleasure to introduce executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Greg Ulmer. Thanks, Eric. Deputy Administrator Melroy, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen and everyone with us today via live stream around the world. Thank you for joining us. It's a pleasure to be here today at our renowned Lockheed Martin skunkworks facility to celebrate the X-59, an experimental technology demonstrator that has the potential to completely revolutionize aviation.

Put simply, today, we are all witnessing a defining moment in aviation history and the skunkworks mantra of quick, quiet and quality takes on a whole new meaning as we usher in the hopes of a new era of quiet supersonic travel made possible through our collaboration with NASA. Lockheed Martin and NASA have partnered since the agency's founding in 1958, pushing the boundaries and scientific technical limits to explore the unknown and advance both civil aviation priorities, as well as those in support of our national defense. Together, we've collaborated to support all 22 national missions to Mars. We've developed X planes together, and we've accomplished many aviation firsts together, and we developed that To have those developments have had widespread impact for both our nation and the world at large. And today, we celebrate another breakthrough as we roll out the x 59.

An X plane that will shape the next era of supersonic flight. Over the last decade, our teams at both NASA and Lockheed Martin, as well as with our suppliers, have been working diligently to mature the technology necessary to get to this moment in time. I am continuously impressed by the team in the innovation design and advanced digital engineering techniques that went into the development of the X 59. The team used advanced manufacturing techniques such as augmented reality, robotic drilling and 3D modeling work instructions to help condense aircraft assembly times. We all know that designing and producing a one of a kind aircraft is never an easy feat, and the X-59 is certainly no exception.

The entire x 59 team leaned into the expertise of both legendary organizations, NASA and Lockheed Martin, to ensure success for this program. And I am extremely proud and humbled of the entire team to make this historic moment pos With the first flight on the horizon. I know there is much more work to do, but I hope everyone in this room, everyone who put all their elements together to be a part of the success of the X-59 that we pause and take a moment to reflect on all the work that has been accomplished in this important milestone as we're here today to celebrate. This is a moment future generations will look back upon with both awe and admiration. On behalf of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics team, we are extremely proud to support NASA in making flight quieter in the Quesst mission.

Congratulations to our NASA teammates, to Lockheed Martin, our talented and dedicated suppliers for your commitment to delivering the X plane that will truly revolutionize supersonic flight and proving once again that with a mighty joint committed team, anything and everything is possible. Thank you. Building an X plane and being part of a team that's building it. It's a once in a career type of event. You get to be a part of a team that has a chance to actually change aviation as we know it.

There is something about the challenges that you come together as a team and solve. Looking back and seeing that plane built there, it is truly an incredible experience. The dream of traveling supersonic goes back to the very origins of aviation flight. Really trying to get faster and faster. One of the big challenges is the sonic boom.

And, you know, that was prohibited. Flying supersonic from 1973, the x 59 is going to revolutionize aviation by showing the world that we can have an aircraft that flies supersonic with a very mitigated sonic boom. The collaboration with NASA has been amazing. I think the biggest challenge on building an X plane is the fact that we are building while we're designing. When you think about this airplane being one of a kind, not only one set of wing skins that were made for it to have all 8000 of those holes drilled by a robot was quite a substantial achievement.

One of the stand out technologies is the external vision system on the x 59. If you look at the plane, there's no windows that face forward as you would see a typical aircraft these days. And that's because we can't afford to have the disruption that a normal canopy or a windscreen would cause. When you get in, it won't look too much different, except for that large screen that you see in front of you for your external vision. Working on x 59 has been really rewarding.

It's something that I'm very proud to be part of. It's been a major milestone in my career, being able to see the true transformation of taking a couple of aluminum parts where you really can't even see where an airplane would be. And turning that into a completed flying airplane is just... it's incredible. Building X 59 has been an extremely rewarding process for all these people to be able to see something like that take shape day in and day out through all of the efforts of the men and women that have put it together is an extremely satisfying experience.

X 59 And NASA's Quest Mission really has the opportunity to open up commercial supersonic travel, but it also could open up faster medical responses across the globe, faster supply and demand shipping. If we can fly quietly over land, it could help basically advance aviation as we know it. There's a good chance I cry when it first takes off. It's absolutely inspiring to see how the X-59 team worked together and how much it means to each person who worked on this airplane. Please join me in welcoming NASA's associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Bob Pearce.

Thank you. It's great to see everybody today, this afternoon, as we celebrate this really momentous occasion. And I admit it's a challenge to take our focus off what we're about to see. The X-59. The centerpiece of our Quest mission to explore quiet supersonic flight over land.

But just for the next few minutes, allow me to expand your focus to a journey of scientific and technical discovery that got us to where we are today. This journey actually began in 1947, when the era supersonic flight started right here in the California high desert with test pilot Chuck Yeager in the X-1. It soon became apparent that the sonic boom, a sharp, thunderous sound heard when an aircraft flying overhead at supersonic speed was going to be a problem. When the Concorde started to fly in the 1960s, ushering in supersonic passenger flight. Concerns about the boom remained.

And in 1973, commercial supersonic flight over land was banned by enforcing a speed limit. But we continued to study the science of supersonic sound, gaining key knowledge about how sonic booms affect people and how to reduce their volume. The new Century brought a boom breakthrough. Innovative Ideas, advanced simulation ground and flight testing showed us it was possible to design an aircraft that would produce a soft thump instead of a sonic boom. Is the thump quiet enough to allow supersonic flight over land?

Our laboratory studies would say yes, but the real answer can only be found by engaging the people who would hear it during daily life. And that's the job of the X-59. After a test phase, the Quest mission will fly the X59 Over US communities collect data from the people below, determine if that sonic bump thump is acceptable, and then turn the data over to U. S. and international regulatory authorities in hopes to then lift that ban.

But look, to be acceptable, supersonic flight must also be sustainable. Takeoff and landing airport noise shouldn't be louder than regular subsonic aircraft. High altitude emissions, the should have minimal or no long term impact at the higher supersonic cruise altitudes. Efficiencies while in cruise mode must be significantly increased and sustainable aviation fuels will reduce emissions further. At NASA, we're pursuing the key knowledge required for sustainable air travel at any speed.

In closing, what we're about to see represents a nearly 100 foot long step forward in the journey of discovery that began began decades ago. A step toward opening the door to sustainable, commercial supersonic flight over land. And while I have a few seconds, I just wanted to thank the NASA and Lockheed teams. I've had the pleasure and the privilege of watching them work, visiting them with talking with them and working with them. And that video you saw, the dedication you see, the excitement you see, the passion you see.

the expertise. That's what this is all about. It's about the people behind the mission. That's what this is about. And I couldn't be prouder.

And I our two project managers sitting side by side, NASA and Lockheed. Cathy Bahm and Dave Richardson, they worked so closely together to make this happen in their teams. And the teams that surround this are just I can't thank you enough. So with that, thank you all for being here today. All right.

We're getting closer. Who all is excited to see the X-59? Yeah, I'm going to give you a I'll give you a B minus on that. Y'all are 150 people in the world that are here live. How many people are excited to see the x 59?

That's what I'm talking about. I now have the honor of inviting to the stage NASA's deputy administrator, Pam Melroy. Thank you so much, Eric. It is just awesome. Ladies and gentlemen and our distinguished guests to be here in the vibrant, beating heart of what I consider the flight research and flight test capital of the world.

Here in the Antelope Valley. I spent my time as an Air Force test pilot at Edwards, and it was like going to an airshow every day. Absolutely amazing. What better place could we be for this magic moment? I also want to welcome the aviation enthusiasts, not just those of us in the room, but literally thousands around the world who are joining us remotely from over 20 countries and over six continents.

So you are also very welcome and we're very happy to have you with us. Today marks a historic milestone for us as we unveil the 59. This is really another jewel in the crown, not just of Aerospace Valley, but also a very rich history of NASA aeronautics. The first A in NASA stands for aeronautics. And we're all about groundbreaking aerospace innovation.

The X-59 proudly continues this legacy, representing the forefront of technology driving aviation forward. The X-59 transcends its role, as all X planes do as a simple aircraft. An X plane is a symbol of our collective ambition to redefine the future. And in this case, it's the future of supersonic travel. As we unveil this technological marvel, it's really important to understand the profound impact the X-59 holds for the aviation industry.

Designed as a jet capable of breaking the sound barrier, the X-59, of course, distinguishes itself, as you have heard, with its revolutionary, quiet, supersonic technology, enabling it to actually transition and be used. Today, supersonic flight brings a thunderous sonic boom. Those of us who live in the area are familiar with this sound. But what that means is that's restricted across populated areas with good reason, and the X-59 is going to break that barrier. Meticulously engineered it produces a gentle bump, a mere whisper compared to the disruptive booms of the past.

So this breakthrough really redefines the feasibility of commercial supersonic travel over land. It brings us closer to a future that we can all understand. Cutting flight time from New York to Los Angeles in half As we unveil the 59, let's celebrate the aircraft. Let's celebrate the team. Let's celebrate the spirit of innovation and the human ingenuity that is embodied in this aircraft.

It symbolizes our collective ability to push boundaries, to overcome challenges, to dream as humans beyond the present and shape a future that promises progress for everyone. So embark with us on this journey into the future, the future of aviation. The X-59 awaits. Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to see NASA's newest X Plane? Great!

Me too! well then, let’s see it! I'm sorry. You can keep looking at it, but I've got a few more things to say. Behold our stunning X-59.

What a unique aircraft. And it's just incredible to see the ingenuity that went into it. As a test pilot, the first time I looked at the design, I went, Huh? I really had some questions about that. Lots of great time with the scientists and engineers at NASA, Lockheed Martin Skunkworks, and all our other industry partners.

And I was ready to go. In fact, I'm ready to climb in. But I won't do that, Nils, I promise. I think it's really also important to take a moment and talk about the challenges of sonic booms accompanying supersonic flight. We talked a little bit about it, but this specialized aircraft is tackling it by engineering a specialized aircraft shape.

What's most obvious right away is the long, distinct nose, which comprised almost a third of that 99. 7 foot length. So this design is really critical in dispersing shock waves, which today shocks are formed around the aircraft and then they merge together to give that boom by designing it to disperse those. They never merge together and that's how they solved this problem, which is really incredible. And then to further enhance its quiet supersonic capabilities, you can see that cockpit is positioned almost halfway down the length of the aircraft.

And as has already been brought out, the forward facing window was getting in the way of keeping the aircraft quiet. And so that's why it has no forward facing window. It was a deliberate engineering decision from the X-59 team to make this aircraft quieter. But what's really interesting about that is we made that decision to make it quieter. But it's actually an important step forward in and of itself in advancing aviation technology while prioritizing the comfort of those on the ground and a huge challenge, right, limited visibility in the cockpit?

The team developed the external vision system, which is really a marvel of high resolution cameras feeding an ultra high resolution monitor. Beyond its immediate applications for the X-59, the external vision system has the potential to influence future aircraft designs, where the absence of that forward facing window may prove advantageous for engineering reasons as it did for us. So it's creating capabilities we haven't felt comfortable about putting in a crewed flight vehicle without first testing it. So this groundbreaking technology is really a beacon guiding us towards a future where visibility barriers in aircraft design can be overcome with this inventive solution. But the X-59’s innovation doesn't end there.

We also designed special features into the airplane, such as its top mounted engine, with a deck under the nozzle, which ensures that the shock waves don't merge behind the aircraft and create that disruptive shock below. This isn't just an airplane. This is an X plane. It's a manifestation of a collaborative genius. And as Bob Pearce noted earlier, the culmination of decades of scientific exploration around the sonic boom.

I'm really personally thrilled about this engineering marvel taking flight and as we embark on this journey, let's celebrate the X-59 as a symbol of progress and a herald of quieter supersonic travel, which will bring us closer together as humans. Faster. Thank you. And please join me in welcoming NASA's associate administrator, Jim Free. Thank you Pam, good afternoon.

I try and learn every day, and I learned a long time ago. Don't follow an astronaut. Now I learned don't follow your boss. And don't follow the unveil of a new X plane. So I'll put still that one away.

Thanks so much for allowing us to be here. And welcome certainly to all the distinguished guests here today and the most distinguished guests, the team that worked on the X-59 from both NASA and Lockheed Martin. NASA's committed to aeronautics innovation. Our X plane investments show this commitment completely. It's exciting to see an X plane in person, really is, for a space guy.

The X-59 is joining a long line of NASA experimental aircraft used to validate breakthroughs that change aviation forever. Even among other X planes the X-59 is special. Every aircraft that receives that X plane designation has a specific purpose to test new technologies or aerodynamic concepts. These special planes push the envelope of what's possible in flight, and once they prove those concepts, they often go into museums. And that's really what makes the X-59 different.

Once we evaluate its ability to produce those sonic thumps, it's work will just be getting started. This plane will spend years traveling around the country to conduct community overflights After its first test flights, The Quest Mission team will expand by thousands of U. S. residents very soon. The people we're relying on to give us honest, unbiased feedback on x 59’s noise will be the key to getting the data we need for the mission to be a success.

Now, my favorite part, I want to focus on the dedicated group of people whose innovative work has made the X 59 possible. Some of the brightest minds from NASA and Lockheed Martin Skunkworks make up this team. Aerospace engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers. Technicians, Pilots. Support staff, creative types, and so many more people whose hard work brought us to today.

Thank you for every single moment, every single effort. And I'd like to take a moment and ask that all of you give them a round of applause. This team is the personification of perseverance. In addition to the challenge of designing, building and integrating a brand new one of a kind X plane which they've met, this team overcame these obstacles during a global pandemic to bring us to the cusp of expanding our horizons into a new era of flight. This is such an exciting time in aviation.

NASA's glad to lead this historic mission through Bob Pearce and our Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. Our innovators worked with the skilled team at Skunkworks to complete the build of this X plane. Their work has been critical to the continued success of the mission. Entire careers. We are talking decades of people's lives focused on supersonic research.

Have gotten us here today. This team is continuing to build on the legacy of aeronautical research and also advance the research with different aircraft shaping like that of the X-59. Across all its aeronautics missions, NASA researches and innovates alongside with and in collaboration with our industry partners. Those partnerships allow NASA to create new technologies, new aircraft, new airspace designs and operations, and they will help us develop community integration solutions that will make aviation more sustainable and integrated into our communities, in ways that support US economic growth and benefit the public with new and innovative transportation options. My sincere thanks to the team who have brought us this commencement.

To the teams who will conduct these flights. To the teams who collect and analyze the data and to the American public who will become part of this mission. Thank you. Thank you. Deputy Administrator Melroy and Associate Administrator Free.

For those of you that aren't an engineer that are listening to this on li stream or you're in this room, let me just break this down for you. I weigh 240 lbs. If I were to jump off of this stage, land in a pool 25 feet back, seven rows of live human beings would get wet when I cannonball into the water That is currently aviation as we know it. What the X-59 does is it is at US Olympic diver that you are going to see in Paris this summer. And when you see that diver go into the water, there's barely a ripple.

That's what this does. When it goes 900 miles an hour across the sky, it will barely make a ripple. So I know we all want to get a closer look at this incredible aircraft. But first, I'd like to acknowledge one of our public servants who works to make projects like this possible for the American people. Please help me welcome Governor Senior economic advisor, Miss Dee Dee Myers.

Thank you, Eric. And let me just say, Deputy Administrator Melroy, Associate Administrator Free, Colonel Caspers, Greg Ulmer, John Clark, on behalf of Governor Newsom and the people of California, welcome home. It's good to have you here. And let me just say, it's especially great for me to be here as my dad worked at Lockheed, including at the skunkworks, directing the reconnaissance programs in the eighties and nineties. So on behalf of him, who still follows all this closely, who still has Skunk logo and merch and still considers himself part of the team, again, it's it's wonderful to be here.

And it's also a point of deep pride and personal privilege for those of us in California, because NASA's partnership with California is so important. It's larger than the partnership with any other state. And it and it brings tremendous benefits to our communities. An economic impact, a $15 billion a year, over 1800 proud NASA employees and nearly 3400 contractors and supply chain workers for a combined direct and indirect job force of 66,000 people here in our state and more than $742 million a year in revenue. And if you've been following our travails budget travails this week, you now how important that is.

So to NASA, we simply say thank you for the business, thank you for your trust, and thank you for this great and ongoing partnership. As Senator Bill Nelson says, NASA gets things done, things that inspire us, things that unite us, things that show nothing is beyond our reach. And this project certainly demonstrates that the X-59 and we're just getting started in terms of the scientific benefits that this program will unlock. The X-59 is the first and only quiet supersonic aircraft in the world, which we've heard a lot about today. And no one should be surprised that it was conceived, engineered and built by artisans here in California, because this is ground zero, not just in the country, but in the world for innovation and exploration.

We're very proud of that here. So true to that legacy, the X-59 will push the boundaries of aerospace, advancing the future of commercial aviation. If you want it, dream big and create something that's never been created or seen before, you come to the skunkworks, you come to NASA and you come to California. Yeah, our NASA partnership dates back to Downey, California, and the Apollo project in 1960, so it's a long and proud relationship. And the X-59 is just the latest chapter in our innovation story.

That always starts with the audacious declaration we can do that, right? We can prove supersonic flight without sonic booms. That is such an exciting beginning. And now here we are once again inventing the future and inspiring another generation of science lovers, science geeks and STEM students all across the country to dream big. And we know those dreams will change the future and the face of aviation.

It will captivate, motivate and educate communities all over the country about what's possible, including time travel. Sort of, right? It will be able you'll be able to take off in New York City, fly 925 miles per hour, as Eric noted, and land 30 minutes before you take off on the New York L. A. route.

So it's not exactly time travel, but it's still pretty cool to think about. For those of us who travel back and forth all the time. So we know that somewhere. Chuck Yeager and Kelly Johnson, two heroes in my household growing up, they're smiling at the legacy that they have created and left and the inspiration that they still give us, because it's another incredible milestone for NASA, for the skunkworks, for Lockheed Martin, and for our partnership here in California. So we could not be more excited.

We cannot be more grateful to making history with you all again. And what could be better than that. So thank you all for being here today and having me. Thank you. Thank you, Dee Dee.

Please join me in welcoming back to the stage, John Clark for some closing remarks. As you close out today's ceremony, I'd like to thank all of you, especially our distinguished guests, and for all of you that have attended virtually on a personal level, this airplane represents an opportunity to take half of my week and make it more productive. I wish I had it 25 years ago. I literally spend about a day a week on an airplane, and it would be great to have something like this. And the people that will succeed all of us hopefully are going to have that opportunity, say 2032 to 2035, and there's going to be going to be a lot of opportunity in the future to drive new innovations with new commercial transport airplanes based on the technology we're creating here.

The X-59’s future is bright, and that's all due to the individuals on this team. And I specifically want to call out my skunkworks team and thank you for all the hard work and dedication that you've put into this. And to the NASA team, I really genuinely appreciate the partnership. The collaboration to make this all happen is very meaningful. Thank you.

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