Explore Search
 
 News & Events
											News & Events
															All NASA News
															Video Series on NASA+
															Podcasts
															Blogs
															Newsletters
															Social Media
															Media Resources
															Upcoming Launches & Landings
															Virtual Events
					Multimedia
											Multimedia
															NASA+
															Images
															NASA TV
															Sounds and Ringtones
															Interactives
															NASA Apps
															Podcasts
															e-Books
															STEM Multimedia
					NASA+


Search
 Suggested Searches Climate Change
								Artemis
								Expedition 64
								Mars perseverance
								SpaceX Crew-2
								International Space Station
							View All Topics A-Z


HomeMissionsHumans in SpaceEarth & ClimateThe Solar SystemThe UniverseScienceAeronauticsTechnologyLearning ResourcesAbout NASAEspañol			News & Events
			Multimedia
			NASA+
 Featured 5 min readNASA Analysis Confirms a Year of Monthly Temperature Recordsarticle3 days ago Hubble Finds Surprises Around a Star That Erupted 40 Years Ago4 min readHubble Finds Surprises Around a Star That Erupted 40 Years Agoarticle4 days ago The specks in this Mars scene were caused by charged particles6 min readNASA Watches Mars Light Up During Epic Solar Stormarticle4 days ago
 Back
 Missions Search All NASA MissionsA to Z List of MissionsUpcoming Launches and LandingsSpaceships and RocketsCommunicating with MissionsArtemisJames Webb Space TelescopeHubble Space TelescopeInternational Space Station
 Humans in Space Why Go to SpaceAstronautsCommercial SpaceDestinationsSpaceships and RocketsLiving in Space
 Earth & Climate Explore Earth ScienceClimate ChangeEarth, Our PlanetEarth Science in ActionEarth MultimediaEarth DataEarth Science Researchers
 The Solar System The SunMercuryVenusEarthThe MoonMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptunePluto & Dwarf PlanetsAsteroids, Comets & MeteorsThe Kuiper BeltThe Oort CloudSkywatching
 The Universe ExoplanetsThe Search for Life in the UniverseStarsGalaxiesBlack HolesThe Big BangDark Energy & Dark Matter
 Science Earth SciencePlanetary ScienceAstrophysics & Space ScienceThe Sun & HeliophysicsBiological & Physical SciencesLunar ScienceCitizen ScienceAstromaterialsAeronautics ResearchHuman Space Travel Research
 Aeronautics Science in the AirNASA AircraftFlight InnovationSupersonic FlightAir Traffic SolutionsGreen Aviation TechDrones & You
 Technology Technology Transfer & SpinoffsSpace Travel TechnologyTechnology Living in SpaceManufacturing and MaterialsRoboticsScience InstrumentsComputing
 Learning Resources For Kids and StudentsFor EducatorsFor Colleges and UniversitiesFor ProfessionalsScience for EveryoneRequests for Exhibits, Artifacts, or SpeakersSTEM Engagement at NASA
 About NASA NASA's ImpactsCenters and FacilitiesDirectoratesOrganizationsPeople of NASACareersInternshipsOur HistoryDoing Business with NASAGet InvolvedContact
 Español CienciaAeronáuticaCiencias TerrestresSistema SolarUniverso
 News & Events All NASA NewsVideo Series on NASA+PodcastsBlogsNewslettersSocial MediaMedia ResourcesUpcoming Launches & LandingsVirtual Events
 Multimedia NASA+ImagesNASA TVSounds and RingtonesInteractivesNASA AppsPodcastse-BooksSTEM Multimedia
 Highlights Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil

	2 min read

		Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil

		article

			56 mins ago Voyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments

	2 min read

		Voyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments

		article

			12 hours ago WL20 group of stars is located in the Rho Ophiuchi star-forming region

	5 min read

		NASA’s Webb Reveals Long-Studied Star Is Actually Twins

		article

			17 hours ago
 Highlights A woman with long, wavy hair and a bright smile sits at a round table during a formal event, surrounded by other attendees. She is wearing a brown cardigan and a patterned blouse.

	5 min read

		Lakita Lowe: Leading Space Commercialization Innovations and Fostering STEM Engagement

		article

			2 days ago NASA’s Repository Supports Research of Commercial Astronaut Health

	2 min read

		NASA’s Repository Supports Research of Commercial Astronaut Health

		article

			3 days ago NASA astronaut Doug “Wheels” Wheelock and Axiom Space astronaut Peggy Whitson prepare for a test of full-scale mockups of spacesuits developed by Axiom Space and SpaceX’s Starship human landing system developed for NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon.

	4 min read

		NASA Astronauts Practice Next Giant Leap for Artemis

		article

			1 week ago
 Highlights NASA Announces New System to Aid Disaster Response

	4 min read

		NASA Announces New System to Aid Disaster Response

		article

			15 hours ago Amendment 21: A.3 Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry: NSPIRES cover page issue and Delay of Proposal Due Date

	2 min read

		Amendment 21: A.3 Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry: NSPIRES cover page issue and Delay of Proposal Due Date

		article

			2 days ago 5 min read

		NASA Analysis Confirms a Year of Monthly Temperature Records

		article

			3 days ago
 Highlights The Next Full Moon is the Strawberry Moon

	17 min read

		The Next Full Moon is the Strawberry Moon

		article

			13 hours ago Mars Dunes

	5 min read

		NASA’s Perseverance Fords an Ancient River to Reach Science Target

		article

			20 hours ago Ed Stone, former director of JPL and project scientist for the Voyager mission, died on June 9, 2024. A friend, mentor, and colleague to many, he was known for his straightforward leadership and commitment to communicating with the public.

	5 min read

		Ed Stone, Former Director of JPL, Voyager Project Scientist, Dies

		article

			3 days ago
 Featured Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil

	2 min read

		Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil

		article

			56 mins ago WL20 group of stars is located in the Rho Ophiuchi star-forming region

	5 min read

		NASA’s Webb Reveals Long-Studied Star Is Actually Twins

		article

			17 hours ago Artist's illustration of a star system near the Sun that is close enough to Earth for exoplanets in their habitable zones to be directly imaged using future telescopes.

	4 min read

		Coming in Hot — NASA’s Chandra Checks Habitability of Exoplanets

		article

			2 days ago
 Highlights Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil

	2 min read

		Hubble Observes a Cosmic Fossil

		article

			56 mins ago Voyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments

	2 min read

		Voyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments

		article

			12 hours ago WL20 group of stars is located in the Rho Ophiuchi star-forming region

	5 min read

		NASA’s Webb Reveals Long-Studied Star Is Actually Twins

		article

			17 hours ago
 Highlights Illustration showing several future aircraft concepts flying over a mid-sized city with a handful of skyscrapers.

	7 min read

		ARMD Solicitations

		article

			1 week ago Team “Rumble Ready” from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, comprised of (from left to right) Professor Mark Gonda, Nicole Xie, Junaid Bodla, Jordan Ragsac, Krishi Gajjar, Gerald McAllister III, and Leara Dominguez, took home first place at the 2024 Gateways to Blue Skies Forum held May 30-31 at NASA Ames Research Center. They are standing in a row posing for the photo; the team members are wearing blue t-shirts, black pants, and tennis shoes.

	4 min read

		Winners Announced in Gateways to Blue Skies Aeronautics Competition

		article

			2 weeks ago Graphic shows a possible future General Electric jet engine with exposed fan blades in front of a cut-away-interior view of its core mechanisms -- all part of NASA's HyTEC research project.

	4 min read

		NASA, Industry to Start Designing More Sustainable Jet Engine Core

		article

			4 weeks ago
 Highlights Simulated Roman image full of synthetic galaxies

	6 min read

		NASA’s Roman Mission Gets Cosmic ‘Sneak Peek’ From Supercomputers

		article

			2 days ago Ed Stone, former director of JPL and project scientist for the Voyager mission, died on June 9, 2024. A friend, mentor, and colleague to many, he was known for his straightforward leadership and commitment to communicating with the public.

	5 min read

		Ed Stone, Former Director of JPL, Voyager Project Scientist, Dies

		article

			3 days ago Astronaut-packaged cheese sandwiches

	2 min read

		Food Safety Program for Space Has Taken Over on Earth

		article

			4 days ago
 Featured A team from Iowa accepts its Artemis grand prize award during NASA’s Lunabotics competition on Friday, May 17, 2024, at the Center for Space Education near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

	5 min read

		Artemis Generation Shines During NASA’s 2024 Lunabotics Challenge

		article
			2 weeks ago
 Highlights Astronaut-packaged cheese sandwiches

	2 min read

		Food Safety Program for Space Has Taken Over on Earth

		article

			4 days ago Aerial view of the coastal launch range of Wallops Flight Facility, showing a blue Atlantic Ocean on the right; white buildings along a tan coastline back up to a green, marshy landscape

	1 min read

		NASA Wallops to Support Sounding Rocket Launch

		article

			4 days ago A woman with long dark hair, wearing a dark top, stands in front of the U.S. flag and a NASA logo on a beige wall.

	5 min read

		From Psychology to Space: Alexandra Whitmire’s Journey and Impact in NASA’s Human Research Program

		article

			3 days ago
 Highlights 2021 Astronaut Candidates Stand in Recognition

	6 min read

		Diez maneras en que los estudiantes pueden prepararse para ser astronautas

		article

			3 months ago Astronaut Marcos Berrios

	4 min read

		Astronauta de la NASA Marcos Berríos

		article

			3 months ago image of an experiment facility installed in the exterior of the space station

	8 min read

		Resultados científicos revolucionarios en la estación espacial de 2023

		article

			4 months ago


4 min read Electric Propulsion Technologies


Dede Dinius Armstrong Flight Research Center
 
 
 
 Contents
 Aero Database Development
							Systems Integration and Test Planning
							Wing Loads Testing
							Collaborators
							Benefits
 NASA’s all-electric X-57 Maxwell continues to undergo high-voltage ground testing with successful spinning of the propellers under electric power at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. The principal goals of the X-57 Project are to share the X-57 design and airworthiness process with regulators and standards organizations; and to establish the X-57 as a reference platform for integrated approaches of distributed electric propulsion technologies.
NASA / Lauren Hughes
 With 14 electric motors turning propellers and integrated into a uniquely designed wing, NASA will use the X-57—its first all-electric experimental aircraft and the first crewed X-plane in decades—to demonstrate that electric propulsion can make planes quieter, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly. Distributed electric propulsion technology is based on the premise that closely integrating the propulsion system with the airframe and distributing multiple motors across the wing will increase efficiency, lower operating costs, and increase safety. The first of three X-57 aircraft configurations arrived at Armstrong in October 2019 for testing and preparation for initial flight tests. Dubbed Modification II (Mod II), this configuration will undergo ground tests, followed by taxi tests, and then flight tests. A goal of the X-57 project is to help develop certification standards for emerging electric aircraft markets, including urban air mobility vehicles, which also rely on complex distributed electric propulsion systems. NASA will share the aircraft’s electric propulsion–focused design and airworthiness process with regulators and industry, which will advance certification approaches for aircraft utilizing distributed electric propulsion. Following are highlights of recent accomplishments and a look at what lies ahead in several key areas.  Aero Database Development Researchers at Armstrong and NASA’s Ames and Langley Research Centers have run more than 2,500 computational fluid dynamics (CFD) cases using a variety of CFD codes to support the development of an X-57 aerodynamic database. The database models the aerodynamics of the baseline X-57 vehicle and also includes aerodynamic increments from the cruise propulsors on the wing tips and the 12 high-lift propulsors distributed along the wing’s leading edge. Propulsors are modeled in CFD using actuator disks with thrust and power values derived from XROTOR models of the cruise and high-lift propellers. An uncertainty model for the aerodynamics of the vehicle was derived, in part, from the variation between the different CFD codes and was incorporated into the database. The aerodynamic database was implemented at NASA Langley, and Armstrong piloted simulations for controls analysis and airworthiness evaluations. Systems Integration and Test Planning The X-57 aircraft is undergoing a series of tests before the Mod II flights occur. Weight and balance tests, ground vibration tests, and post-shipment functional checkout activities will occur first. Hardware and software upgrades will be implemented to improve propulsor efficiencies, followed by a series of system-level verification tests. Off-nominal cases will be checked to ensure there are no unexpected system behaviors. Then instrumentation data will be transmitted from the vehicle to the control room during hangar radiation tests as well as combined system tests to check for electromagnetic interference and compatibility issues. For dynamic testing, a low-speed taxi test will identify any loose wiring connections at the interfaces. At the completion of these build-up tests, the X-57 aircraft will be ready for flight. Wing Loads Testing Following the Mod II phase, Modifications III and IV will feature a high-aspect ratio wing, compared to the wider, standard wing from the Mod II phase. The Mod III/IV wing was tested at Armstrong’s Flight Loads Laboratory to calibrate installed strain gauges for real-time loads monitoring and to verify that the wing met design specifications. The new wing will permit the repositioning of the electric cruise motors to the wingtips, which could significantly boost aircraft efficiency. The Mod IV configuration will include 12 smaller high-lift motors in addition to the two larger cruise motors on each end of the wing to produce distributed electric propulsion. The X-57 distributed electric aircraft wing that will fly in the final configuration of the flight tests completed its testing at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. The test above researched the wing’s structure under stress of 120% of the design limit. From left to right are Eric Miller, Tony Cash, Welsey Li, Shun-fat Lung, and Ashante Jordan.
NASA / Lauren Hughes
 Collaborators NASA’s Langley Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Ames Research Center, and Johnson Space Center; Empirical Systems Aerospace; Joby Aviation; Xperimental; Scaled Composites; Utah-based Electric Power Systems; TMC Technologies; and Tecnam Benefits **Enables cleaner flight:**Electric propulsion provides a 5- to 10-factor reduction in greenhouse gas emissions with current forms of electricity generation and essentially zero emissions with renewable-based electricity.
**Reduces lead emissions:**Electric propulsion provides a technology path for small aircraft to eliminate the use of 100 low-lead (100LL) avgas, which is the greatest contributor to current lead emissions.
**Improves efficiency for commuter aircraft:**This research could lead to the development of an electric propulsion–powered commuter aircraft that is more efficient than today’s models.
**Reduces total cost of ownership for small aircraft:**This project will demonstrate high-performance electric motors, controllers, and power delivery systems that are more reliable and easier to maintain than traditional hydrocarbon-based systems. These technologies will eventually allow aircraft to be built with reduced maintenance costs and improved reliability in flight. **PI: Sean Clarke | 661-276-2930 | Sean.Clarke@nasa.gov**


Share
		Details
				Last Updated
					Jul 26, 2023
			EditorDede DiniusLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center
	Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterSpace Technology Mission Directorate


Explore More
			3 min read
								NSTGRO 2024
																Article
									16 hours ago
									3 min read
								NASA’s RASC-AL Competition Selects 2024 Winners
																Article
									18 hours ago
									4 min read
								California Teams Win $1.5 Million in NASA’s Break the Ice Lunar Challenge
																Article
									20 hours ago


Discover More About Armstrong
 Armstrong Capabilities & Facilities Armstrong Aeronautics Projects Armstrong Science Projects Armstrong Space Projects




The National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery. About NASA's Mission Join Us
 Home
								News & Events
								Multimedia
								NASA+
								Missions
								Humans in Space
								Earth & Climate
								The Solar System
								The Universe
								Science
								Aeronautics
								Technology
								Learning Resources
								About NASA
								NASA en Español
 Follow NASA
 More NASA Social Accounts
                            NASA Newsletters
 Sitemap
						For Media
						Privacy Policy
						FOIA
						No FEAR Act
						Office of the IG
						Budget & Annual Reports
						Agency Financial Reports
						Contact NASA
						Accessibility
 Page Last Updated:
								Jul 26, 2023
							Page Editor:
								Dede Dinius
												Responsible NASA Official:
							Abigail Bowman