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By NASA
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Eric Garza, an engineering technician in the Experimental Fabrication Shop at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, cuts plywood to size for temporary floorboards for the X-66 experimental demonstrator aircraft on Aug. 26, 2024.NASA/Steve Freeman NASA designed temporary floorboards for the MD-90 aircraft to use while it is transformed into the X-66 experimental demonstrator aircraft. These floorboards will protect the original flooring and streamline the modification process.
Supporting the agency’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, a small team in the Experimental Fabrication Shop at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, built temporary floorboards to save the project time and resources. Repeated removal and installation of the original flooring during the modification process was time-consuming. Using temporary panels also ensures the original floorboards are protected and remain flightworthy for when modifications are complete, and the original flooring is reinstalled.
“The task of creating the temporary floorboards for the MD-90 involves a meticulous process aimed at facilitating modifications while maintaining safety and efficiency. The need for these temporary floorboards arises from the detailed procedure required to remove and reinstall the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) floorboards,” said Jason Nelson, experimental fabrication lead. He is one of two members of the fabrication team – one engineering technician and one inspector – manufacturing about 50 temporary floorboards, which range in size from 20 inches by 36 inches to 42 inches by 75 inches.
A wood router cuts precise holes in plywood for temporary floorboards on Aug. 26, 2024, in the Experimental Fabrication Shop at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The flooring was designed for the X-66 experimental demonstrator aircraft. NASA/Steve Freeman Nelson continued, “Since these OEM boards will be removed and reinstalled multiple times to accommodate necessary modifications, the temporary floorboards will save the team valuable time and resources. They will also provide the same level of safety and strength as the OEM boards, ensuring that the process runs smoothly without compromising quality.”
Designing and prototyping the flooring was a meticulous process, but the temporary solution plays a crucial role in optimizing time and resources as NASA works to advance safe and efficient air travel. The agency’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project seeks to inform the next generation of single-aisle airliners, the most common aircraft in commercial aviation fleets around the world. NASA partnered with Boeing to develop the X-66 experimental demonstrator aircraft.
NASA Armstrong’s Experimental Fabrication Shop carries out modifications and repair work on aircraft, ranging from the creation of something as small as an aluminum bracket to modifying wing spars, fuselage ribs, control surfaces, and other tasks to support missions.
Eric Garza, an engineering technician in the Experimental Fabrication Shop at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, observes a wood router cut holes for temporary floorboards on Aug. 26, 2024. The flooring was designed for the X-66 experimental demonstrator aircraft. NASA/Steve Freeman Share
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Last Updated Mar 28, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactSarah Mannsarah.mann@nasa.gov Related Terms
Aeronautics Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Armstrong Flight Research Center Green Aviation Tech Sustainable Flight Demonstrator Explore More
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By European Space Agency
Two spacecraft flying as one – that is the goal of European Space Agency’s Proba-3 mission. Earlier this week, the eclipse-maker moved a step closer to achieving that goal, as both spacecraft aligned with the Sun, maintaining their relative position for several hours without any control from the ground.
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By NASA
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on a ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, during sunset. The one-of-a-kind aircraft is powered by a General Electric F414 engine, a variant of the engines used on F/A-18 fighter jets. The engine is mounted above the fuselage to reduce the number of shockwaves that reach the ground. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and enable future commercial travel over land – faster than the speed of sound.Lockheed Martin Corporation/Garry Tice The team behind NASA’s X-59 completed another critical ground test in March, ensuring the quiet supersonic aircraft will be able to maintain a specific speed during operation. The test, known as engine speed hold, is the latest marker of progress as the X-59 nears first flight this year.
“Engine speed hold is essentially the aircraft’s version of cruise control,” said Paul Dees, NASA’s X-59 deputy propulsion lead at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. “The pilot engages speed hold at their current speed, then can adjust it incrementally up or down as needed.”
The X-59 team had previously conducted a similar test on the engine – but only as an isolated system. The March test verified the speed hold functions properly after integration into the aircraft’s avionics.
“We needed to verify that speed hold worked not just within the engine itself but as part of the entire aircraft system.” Dees explained. “This test confirmed that all components – software, mechanical linkages, and control laws – work together as intended.”
The successful test confirmed the aircraft’s ability to precisely control speed, which will be invaluable during flight. This capability will increase pilot safety, allowing them to focus on other critical aspects of flight operation.
“The pilot is going to be very busy during first flight, ensuring the aircraft is stable and controllable,” Dees said. “Having speed hold offload some of that workload makes first flight that much safer.”
The team originally planned to check the speed hold as part of an upcoming series of ground test trials where they will feed the aircraft with a robust set of data to verify functionality under both normal and failure conditions, known as aluminum bird tests. But the team recognized a chance to test sooner.
“It was a target of opportunity,” Dees said. “We realized we were ready to test engine speed hold separately while other systems continued with finalizing their software. If we can learn something earlier, that’s always better.”
With every successful test, the integrated NASA and Lockheed Martin team brings the X-59 closer to first flight, and closer to making aviation history through quiet supersonic technology.
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Last Updated Mar 26, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactNicolas Cholulanicolas.h.cholula@nasa.gov Related Terms
Aeronautics Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Armstrong Flight Research Center Commercial Supersonic Technology Langley Research Center Low Boom Flight Demonstrator Quesst (X-59) Supersonic Flight Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
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