A NASA Flight Readiness Review board has completed its study of the plan for ground and flight testing of the X-59 low-boom supersonic demonstrator. This checks off the first step in the approval process for the Mach 1.4 aircraft to take to the skies.
Comprising independent experts from across NASA, the review board looked at the X-59 project team’s approach to safety for the public and staff during testing. This included delving into the project team’s analysis of potential hazards and risk identification. The board will provide insights and recommendations for moving forward.
“It’s not a pass-fail,” said Cathy Bahm, NASA’s Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project manager. “We’ll be getting actions from the board and will work with them to resolve those and work toward the Airworthiness and Flight Safety Review.”
That review is the next safety milestone, NASA explained, saying it will involve senior leaders from several NASA centers and prime contractor Lockheed Martin. A final technical brief will follow.
“The Flight Readiness Review focused on specific aspects of the X-59 team’s work on the aircraft, but also served as an overview and update on the entire project,” said Jay Brandon, chief engineer for the Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project. “It gave us the opportunity to stop working for a minute and gather what we’ve done so we could tell our story, not just to the board, but to the whole project team.”
Meanwhile, the X-59 team is prepping for ground trials involving systems integration engine runs and electromagnetic interference tests.
“None of these systems have ever worked and played together before,” said Brad Neal, chairman of the X-59 Airworthiness and Flight Safety Review board. “It’s a brand-new thing that we are developing, even though they’re components that have been on different legacy aircraft. As we get into integration testing here, it’s going to be a great opportunity to learn.’’
Built at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, the aircraft was designed to fly at supersonic speed but with a quieter sonic boom, which NASA likens to a “thump.” The X-59 will be used for NASA’s Quesst mission to gather data on public response to a quieter aircraft. This data will be used to explore possible regulatory changes that could restore supersonic flight over land.