{"id":3327,"date":"2026-07-07T07:16:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T07:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theemcnews.co.uk\/?page_id=3327"},"modified":"2026-07-07T07:17:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T07:17:03","slug":"x-59-completes-electromagnetic-testing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/theemcnews.co.uk\/index.php\/x-59-completes-electromagnetic-testing\/","title":{"rendered":"X-59 completes electromagnetic testing"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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NASA\u2019s X-59 Quesst quiet supersonic research aircraft has passed key engine and electromagnetic testing programs before its planned first flight later this year.<\/p>

Data from the test flights will help establish an acceptable noise standard for commercial supersonic flights over land, lifting a 50-year ban.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/div>

This will be a vital regulatory step for companies such as USA-based Boom, which is developing a commercial supersonic passenger aircraft.<\/p>

Engine tests<\/h2>

The modified F414-GE-100 engine performed to expectations during the three increasingly complicated tests which were ran between October and January at main contractor Lockheed Martin\u2019s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California.<\/p>

Raymond Castner, X-59 propulsion lead at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center said, \u201cWe had no showstoppers. We were getting smooth and steady airflow as predicted from the wind tunnel testing. We didn\u2019t have any structural or excessive vibration issues. And parts of the engine and aircraft that needed cooling were getting it.\u201d<\/p>

The tests began with assessing how the aircraft\u2019s hydraulics, electrical and environmental control systems performed when the engine was powered up but idling. Engineers then performed throttle checks, bringing the aircraft up to full power and firing its afterburner.<\/p>

A third test, throttle snaps involved moving the throttle swiftly back and forth to validate that the engine responds instantly. X-59\u2019s engine produces as much as 22,000 lbs of thrust to achieve the desired cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925mph) at an altitude of 55,000ft.<\/p>

The F414-GE-100 engine, which is also used in the US Navy\u2019s F-18 Super Hornet is mounted on top of the aircraft to reduce the level of noise reaching the ground. The X-59\u2019s 38ft-long nose will also lower the noise of sonic booms to a \u201cthump,\u201d similar to the sound of a car door slamming nearby.<\/p>

Electromagnetic Testing<\/h2>

Following the engine tests, electromagnetic testing was carried out to examine the X-59\u2019s internal electronic systems. These tests confirmed that the X-59\u2019s systems such as radios, navigation equipment and sensors can work together safely, without interference from each other or external sources disrupting critical systems.<\/p>

Yohan Lin, NASA\u2019s X-59 avionics lead said, \u201cReaching this phase shows that aircraft integration is advancing. It\u2019s exciting to see the progress, knowing we\u2019ve cleared a major hurdle that moves us closer to X-59\u2019s first flight.\u201d<\/p>

The electromagnetic interference (EMI) tests were also conducted at the Skunk Works\u2019 facility. During the tests, engineers activated each system on the aircraft one at a time while they monitored the other systems for possible interference.<\/p>

\u201cThis testing helped us determine whether the systems within the X-59 are interfering with each other. It\u2019s called a source-victim test \u2013 essentially, we activate one system and monitor the other for issues like noise, glitches, faults, or errors,\u201d said Lin.<\/p>

The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA\u2019s Quesst mission and is progressing steadily through ground tests to ensure safety and performance.<\/p>

Other electromagnetic interference testing involved the team looking at the operation of the X-59\u2019s landing gear, ensuring this critical component can extend and retract without affecting other systems. Engineers also tested that the fuel switch shutoff was functioning properly without interference.<\/p>

To ensure the X-59\u2019s systems will function properly when it eventually flies near other NASA research aircraft, researchers staged the X-59 on the ground in front of NASA\u2019s F-15D, placing them 47ft (14m) apart, then 500ft (150m) apart. The proximity of the two aircraft replicated conditions needed for the F-15D to use a special probe to gather measurements about the shock waves the X-59 will produce.<\/p>

\u201cWe want to confirm there\u2019s compatibility between the two aircraft, even at close proximity,\u201d Lin said.<\/p>

For the tests the team powered up the X-59\u2019s engine while turning on the F-15D\u2019s radar, C-band radar transponder, and radios. Data from the X-59 were transmitted to NASA\u2019s mobile operations facility, where control room staff and engineers monitored for anomalies.<\/p>

\u201cYou want to make discoveries of any potential electromagnetic interference or electromagnetic compatibility issues on the ground first,\u201d Lin said. \u201cThis reduces risk and ensures we\u2019re not learning about problems in the air.\u201d<\/p>

The next stage of testing for X-59 will be aluminum bird tests, during which data will be fed to the aircraft on the ground under both normal and failure conditions and then taxi tests before flight.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NASA\u2019s X-59 Quesst quiet supersonic research aircraft has passed key engine and electromagnetic testing programs before its planned first flight later this year. Data from the test flights will help establish an acceptable noise standard for commercial supersonic flights over land, lifting a 50-year ban. \u00a0 This will be a… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3327","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theemcnews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theemcnews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theemcnews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theemcnews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theemcnews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3327"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/theemcnews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3334,"href":"https:\/\/theemcnews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3327\/revisions\/3334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theemcnews.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}