NASA introduces the X-70 Fractal research aircraft

NASA described the X-70 as a “high-performance, highly adaptable research platform” for developing and testing next-generation aviation technologies. Its X-plane program includes the Bell X-1, which first broke the sound barrier nearly 80 years ago, and the more recent X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator.

The agency released an AI-generated image showing the X-70 shrouded in smoke and shadows. NASA says the aircraft can fly at altitudes of up to 45,000 feet and has an “operational range exceeding about 1,726 miles.” It can carry experimental equipment inside or outside the aircraft, with a maximum payload of 2,000 pounds.

The plane will also feature “advanced, rapidly reconfigurable flight-control technology,” which NASA says will let researchers explore maneuverability in ways not previously demonstrated in crewed flight. Its modular design is intended to allow internal and external payloads to be swapped quickly.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency expects the X-70’s first flight under the NASA banner within the next two years. He called it one part of “a new beginning for aeronautics.”