Flight | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/flight/RSS feed for FlightenMon, 08 Jun 2026 20:00:34 +0000In a First, NASA's Experimental X-59 Plane Flew Faster Than the Speed of Sound, Setting the Stage for 'Quiet' Supersonic Aircrafthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-nasas-experimental-x-59-plane-flew-faster-than-the-speed-of-sound-setting-the-stage-for-quiet-supersonic-aircraft-180988916/The United States banned supersonic flights over its land in 1973 due to their ear-splitting sonic booms. Experts are building a plane that should travel at those speeds but create only gentle thumpsMon, 08 Jun 2026 20:00:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-nasas-experimental-x-59-plane-flew-faster-than-the-speed-of-sound-setting-the-stage-for-quiet-supersonic-aircraft-180988916/