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NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center NASA, from 16 motely piloted aircraft for potential use in rapid
more than 40 minutes during a test flight near
Hawaii. Another success was General Atomics’ medical transport.
by Jay Levine that work. NASA Armstrong has even to mature space technology develop- technology development that led to future air- Armstrong also has developed the Automatic
Armstrong Flight Research Center captured images of how shockwaves ment through flights on commercial craft NASA used, such as the Ikhana (Predator Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto
interact with each other and between suborbital launch vehicles. The pro- B) that was based at NASA Armstrong for sci- GCAS) that has saved 10 pilots to date. The
The National Advisory Commit- supersonic aircraft, using a process gram funds the flights in space-like ence missions, and the SkyGuardian unmanned technology behind the Auto GCAS allows the
tee for Aeronautics (NACA) High- called Air-to-Air Background Ori- environments of new technologies of aircraft that demonstrated potential commercial software system to take over the controls of an
Speed Flight Facility was established ented Schlieren Flights. interest to NASA’s space exploration applications. The legacy of ERAST also in- aircraft upon determining ground collision is
in 1946 with a single mission: support Aside from work in aeronautics re- goals. Among other successes, the cludes early efforts at identifying and develop- imminent. The system warns the pilot, and if
the first U.S. Air Force experimental search and contributing to aeronauti- program has matured a 3-D printer ing technology for integration of UAS into the no action is taken, it locks the controls and per-
aircraft designed to break through the cal technologies and aviation safety, that can print parts and tools and is National Airspace System. forms an automatic recovery maneuver, return-
perceived sound barrier. the center also conducts work in space now on the International Space Sta- ing full control back to the pilot once the aircraft
A 13-person contingent at the Cali- transportation and is key in many tion. What’s New has cleared the near terrain. The Auto GCAS
fornia facility was tasked to assist in Earth and space science missions. New innovations are part of what the center team was awarded the 2018 Robert J. Collier
testing and research of the X-1, which Aeronautics Milestones is known for and another recent X-plane, the Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association.
was the first aircraft to exceeded Transition to Space Speed isn’t only the regime of X-57 Maxwell, is an example of new aeronau- Leveraging lessons learned from the devel-
Mach 1. Mach 1 is achieved at 650 After the X-1 project ended, a space vehicles. Armstrong research- tics concepts. The distributed electric powered opment of the Auto GCAS, the Resilient Au-
to 750 mph, depending on factors number of X-plane projects followed. ers explored the realm of hypersonic aircraft fits into an overarching NASA plan for tonomy project is at the forefront of technology
such as atmospheric conditions and Designed to find answers related to speed with the first integrated hyper- researching regional air transportation of people development for autonomous aircraft systems.
altitude. An aircraft breaking through speed, temperature, structure, control sonic scramjet engine, the X-43. The and cargo. The propulsion system will set stan- These advanced software systems are preventing NASA photograph
the sound barrier results in a “sonic and human physiology, a variety of air-breathing engines propelled the dards for a new market of regional transporta- air-to-ground collisions in piloted aircraft, and The wingless, lifting body aircraft were lined up on Rogers Dry Lake at what is now NASA’s Armstrong
boom” — a loud, thunderous sound these experimental aircraft continued vehicle to speeds of Mach 7, about tion and demonstrate the technology’s potential the project is now focusing on software devel- Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. From left to right are the X-24A, M2-F3 and the HL-10.
heard by those on the ground. to achieve aviation milestones, as the 4,500 mph, and nearly to Mach 10, to be much more efficient by operating an elec- opments to prevent aircraft from colliding with The lifting body aircraft studied the feasibility of maneuvering and landing an aerodynamic craft
That NACA facility is now known agency morphed from the NACA to or roughly 7,000 mph, during sepa- designed for reentry from space. These lifting bodies were air launched by a B-52 mother ship,
then flew powered by their own rocket engines before making an unpowered approach and landing.
as NASA’s Armstrong Flight Re- NASA in 1958. NASA photograph rate flights in 2004, setting a Guin- tric motor, compared to traditional methods. other aircraft in the air. They helped validate the concept that a space shuttle could make accurate landings without power.
Work with Unmanned Aircraft Systems In-
The project is a joint collaboration with the
search Center. As it approaches its One such aircraft was the X-15 This 1953 photo shows some of the research aircraft at the NACA High-Speed ness World Record for air-breathing tegration in the National Airspace System, or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the
75th anniversary in 2021, the center rocket plane program that posted a Flight Research Station (now known as NASA Armstrong Flight Research propulsion.
is poised to help NASA and the na- then-record 199 flights, including Center). The photo shows the X-3 (center) and clockwise from left the X-1A High speed isn’t always the goal, UAS in the NAS, is also intended to help open Office of the Secretary of Defense, with numer- Aerodynamic Design to Land on Mars, or red Astronomy (SOFIA) is the world’s largest
ous Department of Defense services and com-
new industries for U.S. companies to operate
tion reach new supersonic flight mile- binders of research, and an official (Air Force No. 48-1384), the third D-558-1 (NACA No. 142), the XF-92A, the as demonstrated during the Environ- Prandtl-M aircraft, is successful, it could collect airborne astronomical observatory, comple-
stones. record speed of Mach 6.7, or more X-5, the D-558-2 and the X-4. mental Research Aircraft and Sen- these aircraft. Some of the uses could include mands, to create new autonomous technology and transmit valuable information back to Earth. menting NASA’s space telescopes as well as
deliveries, powerlines, pipelines, bridges and in-
NASA’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic than 4,500 mph, and an unofficial al- sor Technology (ERAST) program. and inform FAA certification guidelines.
center was renamed in 2014, piloted 2) that launched successfully July 2, One of the aircraft that flew in that frastructure inspections, crop management and The remotely piloted X-56A Multi-Utility Airborne Science major Earth-based telescopes. SOFIA features
the Lunar Module manually to the lu- 2009, which was a key milestone in program was the Helios Prototype, help with disaster relief and recovery efforts. Technology Testbed suppressed potentially de- NASA Armstrong operates a fleet of special- a German-built, far-infrared telescope with an
nar surface to take humankind’s first preparation for Artemis missions to which cruised at 25 mph, powered by Armstrong, NASA centers, industry and aca- structive vibration called flutter, which permit- ized aircraft of varied capabilities to support effective diameter of 100-inches. The telescope
steps on the moon. the moon. The team was key to data solar powered electric motors about demia are working together to resolve technical ted research of the aircraft’s lightweight, flexible environmental and Earth science research mis- weighs 19 tons (38,000 pounds) and is mounted
Lifting body aircraft were designed systems for the AA-2 flight test ve- as powerful as a hairdryer. and regulatory impediments and coordinating wings. The results of the research, which also in the rear fuselage of a highly modified Boeing
to validate the shape of a space re- hicle, ensuring engineers had all the ERAST, which was managed at with the Federal Aviation Administration for this included the Air Force Research Laboratories in sions, under the Airborne Science program of 747SP aircraft.
turn vehicle that could land like an information they need to assess how NASA Armstrong, was a joint NA- integration to happen. Ohio, could enable future airliners to use simi- the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. Flying at altitudes of between 39,000 to
aircraft, instead of descending under the spacecraft’s launch abort system SA-industry initiative to develop and One example was the June 12, 2018, first lar wing designs to conserve fuel. The X-56A As part of the directorate’s Earth Science Di- 45,000 feet and above 99 percent of the water
a parachute and landing in the ocean. can pull the Orion crew module to demonstrate aeronautical technolo- flight of the Ikhana into the NAS without an team also facilitated the development of tools vision, NASA’s Airborne Science Program uses
Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream safety in an emergency. gies. The primary objective was to de- escort aircraft, which was the culmination of on- and technologies and acquired data to validate these unique aircraft and sensors to conduct ob- vapor in the atmosphere, SOFIA facilitates ob-
Chaser spacecraft completed addi- going NASA work with the FAA on regulations modeling techniques. servations and collect atmospheric data, as well servations that are unobtainable from telescopes
tional approach and landing tests at and standards that will eventually lead to routine NASA Armstrong engineers are working as calibrate and validate satellite data. on the ground. Because SOFIA can fly virtually
NASA Armstrong in November 2017. access to the national air space for all classes of on an increasingly complex aircraft called the A number of the science aircraft are based anywhere in the world, change instruments be-
It continued the center’s historic role UAS in the NAS. Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to at NASA Armstrong Building 703 in Palmdale, tween flights, and implement new capabilities,
with lifting body shaped vehicles. Another example is the first Systems Integra- Lower Drag, or Prandtl-D. The aircraft features California. They include a Douglas DC-8 jet- it provides greater adaptability than any space-
tion and Operationalization demonstration April a new method for determining the shape of the liner converted into a flying science laboratory, based telescope.
Space Shuttles and Space 3, 2020. The remotely piloted flight of General wing with a twist, that could lead to an 11-per- two high-altitude Lockheed ER-2s (civilian ver- NASA Armstrong’s stellar past has built the
Contributions Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Sky Guard- cent reduction in drag. The concept may also sions on the U-2Rs) and a Gulfstream C-20A foundation for a busy future, as the next chapter
Space Shuttle Enterprise’s ap- ian was used to test the company’s Detect and lead to significantly enhanced controllability (G-III). A Beechcraft B-200 Super King Air is
proach and landing tests marked an- Avoid System, to provide situational awareness that could eliminate the need for a vertical tail, based at Armstrong’s main facility at Edwards of the center’s history unfolds.
other contribution to space-related of air traffic near the aircraft. The second dem- and potentially to new aircraft designs. Air Force Base.
technology. A large steel gantry called onstration in the series is tentatively set for fall Work on the Prandtl-D led to a concept for Editor’s note: Jessica Arreola, Christian Gel-
the Mate Demate Device slowly lifted 2020, when Bell Textron Inc. is set to test a re- a Mars airplane. If the Preliminary Research SOFIA zer, Matt Kamlet, Frank Seitzen, Teresa Whiting
NASA photograph the shuttle onto the back of a spe- NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infra- and Leslie Williams contributed to this report.
NACA pilot John Griffith hands his flight gear to Dick Payne as crew members cially modified NASA 747 Shuttle
Ed Edwards and Clyde Bailey observe. Carrier Aircraft. Enterprise was then
launched from the back of the large
aircraft to validate the shuttle’s per-
Technology, or QueSST, aircraft, once titude record at the edge of space of formance in atmospheric flight.
delivered to NASA Armstrong, will 67 miles, or 354,200 feet. The center retained a role with
take to the skies to validate the tech- The center’s initial focus was the space shuttles during the 30-year
nology to make quiet supersonic flight aeronautics, but the X-15 bridged the program, often hosting landings. Most
possible. The science includes the worlds of high speed aircraft with early landings and first flights of new NASA photograph
shape of the aircraft itself mitigating the research needed to reach beyond orbiters or return to flight operations This 1964 NASA Flight Research Center photograph (now NASA Armstrong)
the loudness of a sonic boom. Once Earth’s atmosphere. The development took place at the center. The shuttles shows a ground engine test underway on the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle
the aircraft is proven, it will begin of reaction control systems for the concluded 54 space missions with a (LLRV) No. 1.
the third phase of Low-Boom Flight legendary X-15 was critical for space landing at Edwards and a return trip
Demonstration mission, where it will flight, as it provided a way to control on the NASA 747 to NASA’s Ken-
be flown above select U.S. communi- a vehicle in the absence of dynamic nedy Space Center in Florida. The center has also assisted in velop and transfer advanced technol-
ties to gather data from sensors and pressure as is encountered in space. Armstrong also was involved in testing systems in flight. Software ogy to an emerging American industry
people on the ground to gauge public The Lunar Landing Research Ve- testing the pad launch abort test cap- for the agency’s Space Launch Sys- and to conduct flight demonstrations
perception. That data will help regula- hicle also was tested at the center. sule for NASA’s Orion spacecraft. tem rocket, which will launch Orion of those technologies in controlled en-
tors establish new rules that may en- The free-flight aircraft simulated the The capsule’s instrumentation and into deep space, was tested onboard vironments, to validate the capability
able commercial supersonic air travel one-sixth gravity of Earth that astro- wiring took place at the center, as Armstrong’s F-18 aircraft that flew of UAVs to fly operational science
over land. nauts would face on the moon. The did its weight and balance, center of nearly vertical to simulate a rocket missions. The program also focused
Before the new supersonic experi- research contributed to construction gravity and combined systems testing. flight path. An Armstrong F-18 was on miniaturization and integration of
mental aircraft flies, Armstrong has of the Lunar Landing Training Vehi- The center also led the construction of also used to test a radar system that special-purpose sensors and imaging
worked to assess how people cur- cles that were built and sent to NASA the launch site at White Sands Mis- helped land the Mars Curiosity rover equipment for UAVs.
rently perceive sonic booms. Flight Johnson Space Center in Houston sile Range in New Mexico, where the on the surface of the planet in 2012. A major success of the program
series such as the Sonic Booms in (then called the Manned Spaceflight capsule successfully launched May 6, NASA Armstrong continues to happened in 2001, when the He-
Atmospheric Turbulence Flights at Center). Apollo astronauts used the 2010. contribute to future space require- lios Prototype reached an unofficial Lockheed Martin Skunk Works image NASA photograph by Jim Ross
Kennedy Space Center in Florida spindly aircraft to train for landing on Another NASA Armstrong contri- ments by managing the Space Tech- world-record altitude of 96,863 feet, This artist concept of the X-59 QueSST aircraft shows the experimental vehicle in flight overland. The X-56A flies over the desert near NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.
and the Quiet Supersonic Flights in the moon. The practice was helpful bution included a number of tasks nology Mission Directorate’s Flight sustaining flight above 96,000 feet for The X-59 is NASA’s first piloted X-plane in decades and is shaped to reduce the loudness of a NASA researchers used the remotely piloted X-56A to explore the behavior of lightweight, flexible
Galveston, Texas, have focused on when Neil Armstrong, for whom the for the Orion Ascent Abort-2 (AA- Opportunities program. The idea is See NASA, Page 17 sonic boom to that of a gentle thump. aircraft structures.
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