>>64473429
The X-59 is neat, but it's never going to lead anywhere. Flying supersonic is just too expensive to be worth it economically. The shape an SST requires makes them have low passenger counts and very little payload. Add in the fuel costs, which will be astronomical, and it doesn't matter how quiet the boom is, wide bodies will choke it out of the market.

The real aviation payoff would have been in the X-66, but that was killed because burning less fuel is for liberals or something.