NASA unveils the X-70, a crewed experimental aircraft for flight-control research

4 November 2026

NASA has unveiled the X-70 Fractal, a new crewed experimental aircraft that can be quickly reconfigured for research.
It was presented at the UP.Summit at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The aircraft will test advanced flight-control and manoeuvrability technologies not yet shown in crewed flight.
It can carry up to 2,000 pounds of experimental payloads, inside and outside the airframe.
Its cruise speed is Mach 0.75, its ceiling 45,000 feet and its range about 1,500 nautical miles.
NASA expects its first flight under the agency within two years.
The X-70 joins NASA's line of X-planes, which began with the Bell X-1 that first broke the sound barrier in 1947.