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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Volume 62 Number 6 July 2020
X-57 progresses
Future wing, cruise motors advance
Engineers at Empirical Systems Aerospace, or ESAero, perform fit checks on the future wing to be used on the final configurations of NASA’s all-
electric X-57 Maxwell, at their facility in San Luis Obispo, California. Using a “fit check” fuselage, seen here, the team is able to determine the safest
and most efficient method of integrating the wing to be used in Mods III and IV of X-57, while the primary fuselage prepares for ground, taxi and
flight tests at NASA Armstrong. See related article on page 2.
www.nasa.gov/ Photo courtesy of Empirical Systems Aerospace
X-Press July 2020
Ground tests next
Progress on cruise motors
and future wing sets the
stage for the next phase
By Matt Kamlet
NASA Armstrong Public Affairs
Significant progress is being
made in preparation for NASA’s
first all-electric X-plane, the
X-57 Maxwell.
As NASA completes tasks for
X-57’s functional ground testing
at Armstrong working toward
taxi testing and first flight,
assembly and qualification tests Astronaut, page 6
are underway on two critical
components of the X-57 vehicle
at NASA’s prime contractor for
the project, Empirical Systems
Aerospace, or ESAero, of San
Luis Obispo, California.
These components include
the electric cruise motors, which
will power X-57 in flight, and
the future high-aspect ratio wing Photo courtesy of Empirical Systems Aerospace
that will fly on the aircraft in As part of the verification and validation process, the all-electric cruise motors to be used on NASA’s X-57 Maxwell
X-57’s final configuration. began several rounds of tests, high power, and endurance testing at Empirical Systems Aerospace, or ESAero, of
The X-57, which was modified San Luis Obispo, California. The lessons learned from cruise motor tests will help in the effort to set airworthiness
from a Tecnam P2006T airplane, standards for electric aircraft.
is currently in its first of three
configurations as an all-electric and landing.
aircraft called Modification II, or The constant throughout these
Mod II. While this configuration configurations are the electric
features the replacement of the cruise motors, which have begun
vehicle’s standard combustion, tests at ESAero to verify that they
100-horsepower Rotax 912S are ready before they are installed
engines with 60-kilowatt electric in the X-57 vehicle itself.
cruise motors, X-57’s test flights “We’ve taken those cruise
in this phase will be flown using motors and we’re putting them
the vehicle’s standard wing. through functionality tests,
The following phase, Mod acceptance tests, and qualification
III, will see this wing replaced tests to ensure their airworthiness
with the high-aspect ratio wing, for the X-57 vehicle,” said Trevor
greatly reducing overall vehicle Foster, ESAero Vice President of
area and relocating the cruise Operations. “As part of the NASA
motors out to the wingtips. airworthiness process, these are the
The aircraft will fly in its final verification and validation steps to
Mod IV configuration with the reduce risks and increase the safety
NASA Langley/Advanced Concepts Lab, AMA Inc. and reliability of the components
addition of 12 smaller high-lift
motors along the wing’s leading This artist’s concept image shows NASA’s first all-electric X-plane, the X-57 on the vehicle.”
edge to be used during takeoff Maxwell, in its final configuration, flying in cruise mode over Armstrong. X-57 page 8
X-Press July 2020
Preparing for future missions
News
at NASA
Mars rover
launch set
for July 20
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover
is targeted for a July 20 launch.
The rover’s astrobiology mission
will seek signs of past microscopic
life on Mars, explore the geology
of the Jezero Crater landing site,
and demonstrate key technologies
to help prepare for future robotic
and human exploration. The rover
also will collect the first samples of
Martian rock and regolith (broken
rock and dust) for return to Earth
AFRC2020-0063-15 NASA/Lauren Hughes by a set of future missions.
The Mars 2020 mission
Pilots Troy Asher and Stu Broce walk out of a NASA Armstrong hangar in Palmdale toward the flight line. In ad-
has been slated to liftoff this
dition to aeronautics research, Flight Operations personnel support such missions as the Mars Perseverance Rover,
summer ever since the agency
slated to launch in July 2020. Specialized science platform aircraft, such as the DC-8 flying laboratory, high-
announced the project in
altitude research aircraft ER-2s, C-20A, Gulfstream III and the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy,
December 2012. Owing to
are based at the facility.
the relative positions of Earth
and Mars to each other, launch
Armstrong provides Mars Rover Support opportunities come up only
every 26 months. If Perseverance
By Jessica Arreola didn’t head to Mars this summer,
NASA Armstrong Public Affairs the project would have to wait
A great example of commit- until September 2022 to try
ment to the agency mission is again, seriously impacting the
the critical work of personnel in long-term objectives of NASA’s
the NASA Armstrong Flight Op- Mars Exploration Program and
erations Office. The agency ap- increasing overall mission risk.
proved use of its C-20 and G-III Significant challenges
aircraft at Armstrong for trans- come with the territory when
port of mission-critical JPL staff planning a Mars mission. In
from California to NASA’s Ken- the case of Perseverance – the
nedy Space Center in Florida. heaviest payload yet to go to
Trips would begin at sunrise the Red Planet – those included
with Armstrong’s flight surgeon implementing a test project to
Dr. Dwight Peake performing confirm the soundness of their
health screenings and protective parachute design. In addition,
AFRC2020-0063-06 NASA/Lauren Hughes
equipment fittings. By sundown an extensive effort honed the
in Southern California, the air- Armstrong flight surgeon Dr. Dwight Peake performs a health check. performance of the rover’s
craft crew would return home Sample Caching System, the
with team members whose work with our Perseverance rover. Togeth- from across the U.S. aerospace most complex and the cleanest
at the Cape was complete. er we are persevering.” said Thomas industry and the Department of mechanism ever sent into space,
“One of the best demonstra- Zurbuchen, associate administrator Energy have performed critical and challenges of working in a
tions of One NASA I’ve seen in of the Science Mission Directorate. activities in preparing Persever- new work environment as a result
a while is playing out right now In addition to NASA, personnel ance for launch. of the coronavirus.
X-Press July 2020 AFRC2017-0093-045 NASA/Ken Ulbrich With a NASA F/A-18 in background, aviation maintenance crew chief Walt Kondracki guides a NASA F-15. These are two of 33 research and support aircraft maintained by a team of 300 people at NASA Armstrong. Appreciating AMTs Coleman details AMTs role in aircraft flight safety By Jim Banke on them on the ground. most sophisticated aircraft for Aeronautics Research Mission The date was chosen because the United States Air Force and Directorate that’s the birthday of Charles NASA. To mark Aviation Maintenance Edward Taylor, the man credited Today he is a division chief at Technician Day May 24, James with building the engine the NASA Armstrong and oversees “J.C.” Coleman III of NASA Wright Brothers used to make their a team of some 300 people Armstrong worked with his son first historic flights in 1903. who are responsible for keeping on changing the transmission of So, if you’re looking for an 33 research and support aircraft in their 1990 Nissan 300ZX. aviation maintenance technician flightworthy condition. The plan couldn’t have been – AMT for short – to appreciate, Coleman and his colleagues more perfect. Coleman is certainly a worthy take their charge seriously, even Since 2008, on May 24 candidate. He’ll be the one with to the point of demonstrating everyone in the United States is tools in hand and dirty fingernails. a haughty boast that they have asked to take a moment and give For about 25 years as an come to honestly and that has thanks to the more than 250,000 AMT Coleman has inspected, been shared by many proud men and women who keep repaired, upgraded and otherwise AMTs throughout the history of airplanes in the air by working James “J.C.” Coleman III maintained some of the nation’s flight.
X-Press July 2020
“It may be the pilot who gets Operations Management, both
all the glory, but it’s the AMTs from Embry Riddle Aeronautical
on the ground that should get all University.
the credit,” Coleman said. “We’re
responsible for that airplane, from A is for Aeronautics
nose to tail. If it flies well, or if it When Coleman retired
flies poorly, that’s a reflection on from the Air Force in 2019, he
its ground crew.” didn’t travel far for his next job
Put another way, it’s the AMTs at NASA, as he only moved a
who own the airplanes, while couple of miles down the edge
pilots just borrow them for a bit of massive Rogers Dry Lakebed
and hope to bring them back in from Edwards to Armstrong.
the same condition or risk the In starting his civilian career
– good-natured? – wrath of the at the nation’s space agency,
ground crew. Coleman said some of his Air
It’s not arrogance. It reflects Force colleagues wondered what
the respect and seriousness to he would be doing “up there”
which AMTs approach their work and needed to be reminded that
because it can literally mean the the first A in NASA stands for
difference between life and death. Aeronautics.
“That really is a mentality that “We do fly aircraft and we do
is bred into the culture of AMTs. it exceptionally well!” Coleman
That aircraft on the ground is said he told his friends.
ours. If the pilot has a successful Armstrong’s aircraft fleet
mission, it is in no small part due includes 33 airplanes, of which
to the maintainer,” Coleman said. there are 12 different major
types. These aircraft range from
A Familiar Story the big DC-8 airliner-turned-
If there is such a thing as a research-platform, to small
stereotypical AMT, it’s probably electric-powered drones.
someone who tends to work on “The beauty of working at
their own cars, has a tool for every NASA is the variety of aircraft we
job, and loves to create and build fly,” Coleman said.
things, Coleman said. Armstrong’s fleet also includes
So, it’s probably no surprise that F/A-18 and F-15 fighter jets long
Coleman’s personal tale echoes since retired from the military.
the origin story of many AMTs. The F-15 was the first type of
AFRC2018-0287-158 NASA/Josh Valcarcel
Originally from Raleigh, North airplane Coleman worked on in
Carolina, Coleman was bit by the NASA Armstrong technician James Ford works on the nose wheel of a NASA the Air Force and it remains his
bug at an early age. Not so much F/A-18 research/support jet on the ramp at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas. favorite.
an aviation bug – although he had But it’s also a kind of love-
an interest in airplanes – but more prompted him to pursue a degree aircraft flew other than you put a hate relationship as the F-15
of a mechanical one. in electrical engineering. He began whole lot of power behind it and represents for Coleman and his
“Even as a kid I would take his studies at North Carolina State hopefully it takes off,” Coleman team the kind of challenge they
apart my toys to see how they University and continued at North said. face in maintaining aging aircraft
worked and try to improve them Carolina A&T State University During the next 24 years Coleman NASA has obtained from the
as I put them back together,” until money ran out. would ascend through the enlisted military and industry.
Coleman said. His father insisted that if ranks to the top, retiring in 2019 as “The older and more high
To save money, his father did Coleman wanted to finish school, a Chief Master Sergeant stationed at performance they are, the more
all the maintenance on the family he had to pay his own way. The Edwards Air Force Base. He and his love and attention they need,”
car and young Coleman helped, Air Force turned out to be the wife of 21 years, Carmen, also raised Coleman said. “They are beautiful
gaining practical training and solution, even if it meant an a son, Jalen. when they fly but when they
confidence in knowing that he unsure future as a certified AMT Along the way he would work break it gets increasingly more
was indeed mechanically inclined. rather than holding an engineering on many different types of aircraft challenging and expensive to find
(He wouldn’t buy his first new car degree. – trainers, fighter jets, spy planes – spare parts or to make our own.”
until 2017.) “I had no idea what an aircraft and earn two degrees: a Bachelor of The hunt for spare parts might
Coleman’s interest in figuring maintainer was when I joined the Science in Aeronautics Technology
out how things worked initially Air Force, or even really how an and a Master of Science in Aerospace AMTs page 6
X-Press July 2020
More X-59 pieces are coming together
The wing and cockpit sections of NASA’s
X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technol-
ogy (QueSST) are coming together at
Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works® factory
in Palmdale. Major structural compo-
nents still to be added include the long,
forward nose and rear section – known
as the empennage – that includes the tail
and single jet engine. Nearby, although
not seen in this picture, Lockheed
Martin technicians and engineers are
completing other assembly tasks, with
fabricating the composite wing skins
with the help of a sophisticated robot
already done. When it is complete, Lock-
heed Martin and NASA will put the
X-59 through a series of ground and test
flights to ensure not only its air worthi-
ness, but also its ability to create a sonic
boom that can barely be heard – if at all
– by people on the ground while it flies
supersonic at a cruise altitude overhead.
Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin
AMTs... from page 5
require Coleman’s team to look a passion for working with your
through old, grounded aircraft hands and with tools, and if you
stored at Armstrong or Edwards; have a knack for problem solving
travel to other desert airfields and troubleshooting, then you
where large numbers of retired probably have what it takes to
aircraft are sent; or seek out help succeed as an AMT.
from NASA research centers And just because Coleman
having aircraft operations. wound up working on high-
“We really have excellent performance fighter jets, among
relationships with the Air Force other advanced aircraft, being
here at Edwards and elsewhere, certified as an AMT means you
as well as with the other NASA can work on anything from the
centers. If you’re in aircraft smallest single-engine general
maintenance you’re part of a kind aviation airplane to the largest
of club and we all try to help each jumbo jet airliners.
other out,” Coleman said. “When it comes to the general
theory of aircraft maintenance
AFRC2018-0134-19 NASA/Lauren Hughes
AMT Work Ahead and aircraft engine operation,
At the same time the Armstrong NASA Armstrong technician David Johnson works on rewiring the cockpit while the complexity level can
AMT team is working to keep and nose area of NASA’s high-altitude ER-2 research aircraft. increase, there’s not a lot variance
their current aircraft flying, its between the different aircraft you
members have their eyes on the definitely keeping busy and It is a labor of love. It is a skill might work on,” he said.
future. continuing to train and learn new set that will be needed because Being an AMT is a career that
“We just took delivery of things,” Coleman said. air travel in one form or another certainly has worked out well for
the all-electric X-57 and we’re The future also is bright for – and NASA is working on a lot the North Carolina native, one
working with our program anyone thinking about joining the of different ideas – is not going to that can be celebrated on Aviation
managers to prepare for AMT ranks. disappear,” Coleman said. Maintenance Technician Day.
the supersonic X-59 – those are “Being an aircraft maintainer is His advice for anyone thinking “I truly believe I’ve got the
just two examples – so we’re one of the most rewarding careers. about such a career: If you have greatest job in the world.”
X-Press July 2020
SOFIA New Zealand
deployment canceled
By Kassandra Bell of optimal observing conditions
USRA during the Southern Hemisphere’s
The leadership of the winter months, including long
Stratospheric Observatory nights. The observations that were
for Infrared Astronomy, scheduled to take place from New
SOFIA, reached a decision Zealand will be assessed for future
that the observatory’s annual deployments to the Southern
deployment to Christchurch, Hemisphere. The SOFIA Science
New Zealand, is not feasible this Center continues to be fully
year, given ongoing concerns operational, supporting services
related to the COVID-19 such as data pipeline operations,
pandemic. A revised flight helpdesk and user support.
schedule is being coordinated to SOFIA, the Stratospheric
focus on high-priority celestial Observatory for Infrared
NASA/SOFIA/Waynne Williams
targets that can be studied Astronomy, is a Boeing 747SP
from SOFIA’s base at NASA SOFIA taxiing on the ramp at Christchurch International Airport in 2017. jetliner modified to carry a 106-
Armstrong. The leadership of SOFIA reached a decision that the observatory’s annual inch diameter telescope. It is a
SOFIA observations were deployment to Christchurch, New Zealand, is not feasible this year, because joint project of NASA and the
temporarily suspended effective of ongoing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. German Aerospace Center, DLR.
March 19, in response to the NASA’s Ames Research Center in
COVID-19 situation. In the opportunities to observe from our deployment this year. We value California manages the SOFIA
meantime, the SOFIA team base in California,” said Naseem the scientific data we collect from program, science and mission
has been preparing for a future Rangwala, SOFIA’s project scientist. Christchurch and look forward to operations in cooperation with
return to flight through the “As always, we are thankful to the returning in the future.” the Universities Space Research
formulation of new flight plans New Zealand government, U.S. SOFIA typically deploys to Association headquartered in
and will make that information Antarctic Program, Christchurch Christchurch, New Zealand, from Columbia, Maryland, and the
available when it is finalized. Airport, German Aerospace Center approximately June to August German SOFIA Institute (DSI)
“Though we can’t fly to and other partners for the extensive each year to study celestial objects at the University of Stuttgart.
New Zealand this year, we are work and cooperation that went best viewed from the Southern The aircraft is maintained and
excited about leveraging new into evaluating options for a Hemisphere and to take advantage operated from Armstrong.
Researchers could fly with future experiments
For the first time in the agency’s history, NASA qualification, NASA plans to purchase
has initiated a new effort to enable NASA personnel seats on commercial suborbital space
to fly on future commercial suborbital spaceflights. transportation systems for NASA use.
NASA’s Flight Opportunities program has One of the initial activities for SubC
successfully worked with emerging commercial is to work with the Federal Aviation
suborbital transportation systems to fly research Administration (FAA) and commercial
payloads to space for short periods of microgravity suborbital space transportation providers
time. In addition, the Flight Opportunities to define the approach for system
program recently released a call that allows those qualification for NASA personnel, as
non-NASA researchers to propose accompanying well as identify the specific performance
their payloads in suborbital space. NASA capabilities NASA desires.
Now the Suborbital Crew (SubC) office within NASA’s Commercial NASA created the Commercial Crew Program to transport NASA
Crew Program will lay the groundwork for flying NASA personnel on astronauts to and from the International Space Station in low-Earth
commercial suborbital space transportation systems. The goal of the orbit and awarded contracts to Boeing and SpaceX to develop human
SubC office is to perform a system qualification, or safety assessment, space transportation systems that will launch American astronauts on
to enable NASA astronauts, principal investigators and other NASA American rockets from American soil. The first test flight with NASA
personnel to take advantage of these unique capabilities. Following the astronauts, the SpaceX Demo-2 mission, launched May 30.
X-Press July 2020
X-57... from page 2
These steps include endurance even better.” to integrate the cutting-edge wing X-57 is extremely important,”
and high power testing of While X-57 will always fly designed by Xperimental LLC said NASA’s X-57 Project
the cruise motors and cruise with a pair of cruise motors in to X-57 for Mods III and IV and Manager Tom Rigney. “The team
motor controllers, with a focus each configuration, five motors troubleshoot any challenges with is proving out the key electric
on monitoring overall system in total have been built for the the attachment. components that will very soon
efficiency. To do this, engineers project. One was disassembled and Among the lessons learned from set the stage for all the parts to
use a dynamometer to measure used for evaluation of the unit’s this phase is a better understanding come together and for on-aircraft
current and voltage, taking in construction as a safety measure, of what physical modifications ground testing to begin. This
data at a rate of two million two will be used as flight motors must be made to the fuselage to critical step must be completed
times per second. From there, the on the X-57 aircraft, and the other allow the wing to be mounted as successfully before the airplane
performance of these components two will be used for envelope efficiently and safely as possible. can take its first flight. Although
can be recorded, analyzed and expansion testing and will act as The wing is also undergoing managing this and the wing
augmented as necessary to achieve spares to the flight motors. instrumentation development, development simultaneously
maximum efficiency. The goal of Lessons learned from this with engineers working to finalize is challenging, doing both in
this high power testing is to ensure testing are helping to pave the the positioning of hardware inside parallel is proving to be a huge
that the cruise motors and their way for future Federal Aviation the wing to accommodate X-57’s time savings.”
controllers can perform, with Administration airworthiness complex distributed electric As testing on these critical
overhead, any of the steps of a standards for electric aircraft, says propulsion system. components continues to advance
flight mission. Foster. “We’re working to figure out X-57 toward its historic first
Endurance testing involves “It’s critical for the success of the right positioning for specific flight, an approaching milestone
a wider spectrum of activities, the project that we achieve the instruments, and how to mount in NASA’s effort to help set
according to ESAero Cruise Motor efficiency goals that we’re looking them,” said Phil Osterkamp, certification standards for electric
Acceptance and Qualification at, but also as we’re going through ESAero vehicle instrumentation aircraft of the future, anticipation
Lead, Colin Wilson. these steps that we’re beginning lead. “It’s a small wing and the for that day grows across the
“The endurance testing involves to develop how anyone else in the challenge is to get all these items team.
everything from doing small industry is going to certify or make fitted onto and inside it and trying “In the beginning, we were
checks and low power checks, airworthy motors,” said Foster. to understand how to make this as trying to push the envelope for
making sure that the motor spins “We’re taking those first steps.” light and as small as possible. It’s a this technology and I think now
and communicates and gives us As this cruise motor testing lot of layout and routing.” sharing lessons learned along the
the information we need, all the directly feeds the effort for X-57 This is being done as a risk way, we’re providing more benefits
way up to running full mission Mod II, currently housed at NASA reduction for X-57, which will to the aerospace community at
profiles,” Wilson said. “We Armstrong, preparation for Mods be the first NASA X-plane in this stage than we thought we
take the testing beyond mission III and IV are well underway two decades to have a test pilot would,” said Foster. “It’s really
profiles, where you’re really with the team getting the vehicle’s onboard, but also as a schedule exciting to see how far we’ve come
pushing the limits of temperature future wing ready for integration. reduction effort. With these and really seeing things start to
and power.” An additional P2006T fuselage, off activities taking place in parallel to come together here in these final
“So far, the motors and the same assembly line as X-57’s Mod II, the transitions from Mod phases as we approach first flight
controllers have performed fuselage, was acquired and is acting II to Mods III and IV will require for Mod II. I’m incredibly excited
exceedingly well, and we’re in the as a “tooling” fuselage to allow less time. to see this thing fly.”
process of getting them to perform engineers to assess the best way “The work being done now for “Words can’t express it.”
The X-Press is published the first Friday of National Aeronautics and
each month for civil servants, contractors Space Administration
and retirees of the NASA Armstrong Flight
Research Center. NASA Armstrong Flight
Research Center
Address: P.O. Box 273,
Building 4800, MS 1422
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California, 93523-0273 Edwards, California, 93523-0273
Phone: 661-276-3449
Official Business
FAX: 661-276-3167
Penalty for Private Use, $300
Editor: Jay Levine,
Logical Innovations, ext. 3459
Managing Editor: Steve Lighthill, NASA
Chief, Strategic Communications:
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