Numerous Achievements In 2024 Pave The Way Forward

The NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, carries out much of the fundamental aeronautical and aerospace research that enables or advances progress and innovation that promote America’s efforts in aviation and space exploration.

This includes both human and robotic missions to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), supersonic flight, next-generation aircraft and human exploration of space are primary areas of focus for the engineers, researchers, and mission support teams at Armstrong.

Here are just some of the numerous accomplishments at Armstrong during 2024:

• Public debut of the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft and the initiation of testing
• Conducted an air quality study across Asia in an effort to better understand the atmosphere
• Began initial work on the X-66 simulator, an aircraft under development with Boeing to test new airframe designs leading to next-gen passenger aircraft
• Completed and tested a truss-braced wing design that may lead to innovation in commercia airliner aerodynamics
• The AAM team worked with industry partners to develop a custom virtual reality simulator to explore air taxi ride experiences to enhance passenger comfort and develop detect-and-avoid technology for autonomous air taxis
• Developed a camera pod with sensors to improve the camera vision of autonomous aircraft
• The Quesst mission began testing its X-59 engine and closed out the year with a full afterburner test run
• A Gulfstream GIV joined NASA’s fleet of airborne science platforms to collect detailed terrain information
• Tested nighttime precision landing technologies for the safe delivery of space vehicles to hazardous locations
• Worked with the U.S. Forest Service and industry to test an airborne cell tower concept to improve real-time communications between firefighters and command posts
• Hosted its first Ideas to Flight workshop where subject matter experts brainstormed how to accelerate the development of research ideas and technologies through flight

FMI:  www.nasa.gov/