NASA to Announce New X-Plane at Expo
Administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed the upcoming aircraft reveal will take place during the MAX POWER exhibition in Florida.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Space
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NASA plans to announce a new experimental X-plane during the MAX POWER aerospace exhibition at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, scheduled for Nov. 6-8. The announcement follows a May directive calling for additional X-plane development.
Why it matters
The planned reveal is part of NASA's expansion of its experimental aircraft programs, which target airframes and propulsion systems for civil, commercial and national security applications. Isaacman has said there will be more X-planes.
The X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft completed its first year of flight testing, reaching Mach 1.53 and altitudes above 56,000 feet, and is scheduled to appear at the Nov. 6-8 exhibition. The new X-plane's specifications have not been disclosed.
The players
Jared Isaacman
Jared Isaacman is the NASA Administrator overseeing the agency's aeronautics and experimental aircraft programs.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the U.S. federal agency responsible for civil space programs and aeronautics research.
The details
Isaacman confirmed the upcoming announcement during an episode of NASASpaceFlight's The Flame Trench podcast on Oct. 30. The X-59 is being developed to evaluate technologies that could reduce supersonic flight noise over populated areas.
Timeline
Oct. 30: Isaacman confirmed the upcoming X-plane announcement on a podcast.
May: NASA issued a directive calling for additional X-plane development.
Nov. 6-8: The MAX POWER exhibition takes place at Kennedy Space Center, with the X-plane announcement planned.
The Big Picture
The planned reveal extends NASA's May directive calling for additional X-plane development, which targets experimental airframes and propulsion systems for civil, commercial and national security applications. It marks a shift from policy direction toward a specific aircraft.
The announcement will show the public what NASA's next experimental aircraft looks like and what it is built to test. Readers interested in aviation technology can follow the reveal at the Nov. 6-8 exhibition.
The takeaway
NASA's expanding experimental aircraft program signals that more X-planes are coming, though specifics remain undisclosed until the exhibition. Readers should watch the Nov. 6-8 event for details on the aircraft's design and mission.
What happens next
NASA's X-plane announcement is scheduled during the MAX POWER exhibition at Kennedy Space Center, with the event running Nov. 6-8.
Further reading
Explore more coverage in our Space section for context on NASA's aircraft and exploration programs.
Live Poll
Should the federal government spend more money on experimental aircraft research?
