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When you\u2019re testing a cutting-edge NASA aircraft, you need specialized tools to conduct tests and capture data \u2013but if those tools need maintenance, you need to wait until they\u2019re fixed. Unless you have a backup. That\u2019s why NASA recently calibrated a new shock-sensing probe to capture shock wave data when the agency\u2019s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft begins its test flights.<\/p>\n
When an aircraft flies faster than the speed of sound, it produces shock waves that travel through the air, creating loud sonic booms. The X-59 will divert those shock waves, producing just a quiet supersonic thump. Over the past few weeks, NASA completed calibration flights on a new near-field shock-sensing probe, a cone-shaped device that will capture data on the shock waves that the X-59 will generate.<\/p>\n
This shock-sensing probe is mounted to an F-15D research aircraft that will fly very close behind the X-59 to collect the data NASA needs. The new unit will serve as NASA\u2019s primary near-field probe, with an identical model NASA developed last year acting as a backup mounted to an additional F-15B.<\/p>\n
The two units mean the X-59 team has a ready alternative if the primary probe needs maintenance or repairs. For flight tests like the X-59\u2019s \u2013 where data gathering is crucial and operations revolve around tight timelines, weather conditions, and other variables \u2013 backups for critical equipment help to ensure continuity, maintain schedule, and preserve efficiency of operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf something happens to the probe, like a sensor failing, it\u2019s not a quick fix,\u201d said Mike Frederick, principal investigator for the probe at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. \u201cThe other factor is the aircraft itself. If one needs maintenance, we don\u2019t want to delay X-59 flights.\u201d<\/p>\n
To calibrate the new probe, the team measured the shock waves of a NASA F\/A-18 research aircraft. Preliminary results indicated that the probe successfully captured pressure changes associated with shock waves, consistent with the team\u2019s expectations. Frederick and his team are now reviewing the data to confirm that it aligns with ground mathematical models and meets the precision standards required for X-59 flights.<\/p>\n
Researchers at NASA Armstrong are preparing for additional flights with both the primary and backup probes on their F-15s. Each aircraft will fly supersonic and gather shock wave data from the other. The team is working to validate both the primary and backup probes to confirm full redundancy \u2013 in other words, making sure that they have a reliable backup ready to go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n