Will NASA’s newest X-plane bring science fiction to life?

NASA has unveiled details behind its latest X-plane vision, promising a new platform that will advance flight control technology far beyond anything tested in a crewed aircraft before.

On November 4, 2026, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman spoke at UP.Summit at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where he introduced the world to the X-70 Fractal.

Described as a “high-performance, highly adaptable research platform”, the X-70 Fractal is designed to “accelerate the development and testing of advanced aviation technologies”.

“The X-70 Fractal gives NASA a crewed, high-performance platform to test advanced flight-control, maneuverability, and other cutting-edge technologies in real flight,” Isacmann explained.

‘The science fiction future we imagined as children is ours to build’

According to the NASA chief, the X-70 Fractal will join the NASA Aeronautics fleet and take flight under the space agency banner within the next two years.

“The science fiction future we imagined as children is ours to build… and I promise, there will be more,” Isacmann teased.

NASA said that the crewed X-70 will feature advanced, rapidly reconfigurable flight-control technology that will allow staff to “explore aircraft maneuverability in ways never before demonstrated in crewed flight”.

The aircraft can accommodate up to 2,000 pounds of experimental payloads in internal and external locations, enabling a wide range of research and flight-testing opportunities.

“This crewed, modular aircraft will allow the agency to rapidly swap out internal & external payloads to help keep pushing the frontiers of aviation technology,” NASA Aeronautics said.

The X-70 Fractal has a takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds and is designed to cruise at Mach .75, reach altitudes of up to 45,000 feet, and provide an operational range exceeding about 1,726 miles (1,500 nautical miles).

NASA file photo

These capabilities will enable NASA to conduct demanding flight research across a broad range of operating conditions.

“For decades, NASA Aeronautics has used X-planes to develop technologies that advance aviation,” Laurie Grindle, Director of the Aeronautics Division within NASA’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate, said. “It’s exciting to bring on another X-plane to accelerate and drive aeronautics research.”

Previous X-platforms include the Bell X-1, which first broke the sound barrier in 1947, and the X-15 hypersonic research aircraft.

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator is currently undergoing research and development.

“This is why people come to NASA: to build, to learn, and most importantly, to fly,” Isacmann added.

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