Boom Supersonic's jet breaks sound barrier in test flight

The XB-1 demonstrator completed its first supersonic flight on Jan. 28, 2025, at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California, becoming the world's first independently developed civil supersonic jet and the first of its kind in the US, the company said in a statement.

Flown by Boom's chief test pilot, Tristan "Geppetto" Brandenburg, the XB-1 climbed to 35,290 feet (10,749 meters) and accelerated to Mach 1.122 (750 mph), marking its first supersonic achievement.

Since its maiden flight in March 2024, the XB-1 has undergone 11 rigorous test flights, pushing its systems and aerodynamics under increasingly demanding conditions. The milestone marks a key step toward the development of Boom’s supersonic commercial airliner, Overture.

"A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars. Next, we are scaling up the technology on XB-1 for the Overture supersonic airliner. Our ultimate goal is to bring the benefits of supersonic flight to everyone," said Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl.

XB-1’s supersonic flight took place in the same airspace where Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in 1947. It also marks the first human-piloted civil supersonic flight since the retirement of Concorde, paving the way for Boom’s Overture.

Designed to carry 64-80 passengers at Mach 1.7—twice the speed of current airliners—Overture has received 130 orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines, with plans to serve over 600 global routes, according to the company.