On Veterans Day, NASA Honors Its Three X-59 Test Pilots: Two Served in the Air Force, One in the Marine Corps
On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, NASA used its Quesst mission blog to honor the three test pilots of the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft: Jim “Clue” Less, Nils Larson, and Mike Lippert. Less and Larson served in the U.S. Air Force, while Lippert served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
NASA said the three are seasoned pilots and aerospace engineers who bring decades of military service, technical expertise, and flight experience to the Quesst mission. Whether flying the X-59, one of its support aircraft, or contributing their engineering and technical expertise, the team continues that tradition of service by helping advance the future of supersonic flight. NASA thanked the three pilots, and all those who served in the U.S. armed forces on the Quesst mission, for their service, sacrifice, and continued commitment.
The one-of-a-kind X-59 is the centerpiece of the Quesst mission, which will demonstrate technology to fly supersonic, faster than the speed of sound, without generating loud sonic booms. NASA will then survey how people respond when the X-59 flies overhead, sharing those reactions to the quieter sonic “thumps” with national and international regulators to inform new data-driven acceptable noise thresholds for supersonic commercial flight over land. Quesst is supported through NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
(Source: NASA)
Source: NASA
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：X-59静音超音速试验机第二次飞行，由试飞员 Jim Less 驾驶。美国航天局 NASA 官方照片，公共领域。 / Photo: The X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft on its second flight, flown by test pilot Jim Less. NASA photo, public domain.
Follow-Up: As Jensen Huang's Reply Deadline Passes, a House Chair Says Subpoenas Are Likely If He Does Not Agree to a Closed-Door Briefing2026-11-11
Lincoln Recalls 36,994 Navigators: Front Passenger Seat on 2025 to 2027 Models Can Move on Its Own, Dealers to Deactivate Chauffeur Seat Feature Free of Charge2026-11-11