Civilian Jet Breaks Sound Barrier for the First Time in Historic Test Flight

A civilian jet has made history by breaking the sound barrier for the first time. The test flight took place over the Mojave Desert on Tuesday. The jet, called XB-1 and nicknamed “Baby Boom,” was built by the company Boom Supersonic. The aircraft took off from Mojave Air and Space Port and reached a high altitude of 35,290 feet. It then sped up to Mach 1.122, which is about 750 miles per hour.

This marks a major achievement as it is the first jet independently developed to break the sound barrier. The XB-1 is also the first supersonic jet made in America. Interestingly, the sound barrier was first broken in 1947 by Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager, who also flew across the Mojave Desert from the same airport.