Boom Supersonic is just hours away from performing the first supersonic flight of its XB-1 test plane. A successful test will take it a big step toward its goal of launching supersonic passenger flights before the end of this decade.
Boom Supersonic will live stream the first supersonic flight of Boom’s demonstrator aircraft, which is set for Tuesday morning at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. Read on for full details on how to watch.
XB-1 is the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet and the first civil supersonic jet built in the U.S. The aircraft has so far completed 11 test flights since its first one in March 2024. Its most recent outing saw it reach speeds of Mach 0.95 — just below the supersonic threshold of Mach 1.
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Tuesday’s test, however, will see the aircraft break the sound barrier for the first time, “setting the stage for the return of supersonic travel” that was lost with the retirement of Concorde in 2003, Colorado-based Boom said.
XB-1 contains the technology that will help Boom build its supersonic commercial airliner, Overture, with the likes of United and American Airlines having already placed orders.
Overture will have a top speed of Mach 1.7, slower than Concorde’s maximum speed of Mach 2.04, but still fast enough to cut in half the seven hours that it takes to fly from New York to London on a conventional passenger jet.
Powered by sustainable aviation fuel, Overture will fly up to 80 passengers at a cruising altitude of about 60,000 feet, more than 20,000 feet higher than today’s commercial jets.
How to watch
The first-ever supersonic flight of Boom’s XB-1 test plane is set to take place at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California, at at 7:45 a.m. PT (10:45 a.m. E.T) on Tuesday, January 28, though the schedule could change depending on weather conditions or any last-minute technical issues that surface.
You can watch the live stream on Boom’s website.
Viewers will get to see air-to-air footage of the XB-1 aircraft during its supersonic flight, as well as a Q&A session hosted by former Concorde pilot Mike Bannister with Boom CEO Blake Scholl and chief test pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg.