www.nasa.gov/

Volume 61 Number 8 October 2019

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

X-57 arrives

AFRC2019-0242-53 NASA/Lauren Hughes

X-57 

coverage 

pages 4-5
X-Press October 2019

 

 NASA/SOFIA/Lynette Cook

Artist’s concept illustrating a catastrophic collision between two rocky 

exoplanets in the planetary system BD +20 

307, turning both into 

dusty debris. Ten years 

ago, scientists speculated 

that the warm dust in 

this system was a result 

of a planet-to-planet 

collision. Now, SOFIA 

found even more warm 

dust, further supporting 

that two rocky exoplanets 

collided. This helps build 

a more complete picture 

of our own solar system’s 

history. Such a collision 

could be similar to the 

type of catastrophic event 

that ultimately created 

our Moon.

When exoplanets collide

By Kassandra Bell and Joan Schmelz

Universities Space Research Association

A dramatic glimpse of the aftermath of a collision between two 

exoplanets is giving scientists a view at what can happen when 

planets crash into each other. A similar event in our own solar 

system may have formed our Moon.

Known as BD +20 307, this double-star system is more than 

300 light years from Earth with stars that are at least one billion 

years old. Yet this mature system has shown signs of swirling 

dusty debris that is not cold, as would be expected around stars of 

this age. Rather, the debris is warm, reinforcing that it was made 

relatively recently by the impact of two planet-sized bodies.  

A decade ago, observations of this system by ground 

observatories and NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope gave the first 

hints of this collision when the warm debris was first found. Now 

the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy,  SOFIA, 

revealed the infrared brightness from the debris has increased by 

more than 10% – a sign that there is now even more warm dust.

Published in the Astrophysical Journal, the results further 

support that an extreme collision between rocky exoplanets may 

have occurred relatively recently. Collisions like these can change 

planetary systems. It is believed that a collision between a Marssized body and the Earth 4.5 billion years ago created debris that 

eventually formed the Moon. SOFIA, page 7

“The warm dust around BD +20 307 gives us a glimpse into what 

catastrophic impacts between rocky exoplanets might be like,” said 

Maggie Thompson, a graduate student at University of California, 

Santa Cruz, and the lead author on the paper. “We want to know 

how this system subsequently evolves after the extreme impact.”

Planets form when dust particles around a young star  stick 

together and grow larger over time. The leftover debris remains 

after a planetary system forms, often in distant, cold regions like 

the Kuiper Belt, located beyond Neptune in our own solar system. 

Astronomers expect to find warm dust around young solar systems. 

As they evolve, the dust particles continue to collide and eventually 

become small enough that they are either blown out of a system 

or pulled into the star. Warm dust around older stars, like our Sun 

and the two in BD +20 307, should have long since disappeared. 

Studying the dusty debris around stars not only helps astronomers 

learn how exoplanet systems evolve, but also builds a more complete 

picture of our own solar system’s history.

“This is a rare opportunity to study catastrophic collisions 

occurring late in a planetary system’s history,” said Alycia Weinberger, 

staff scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Department 

of Terrestrial Magnetism in Washington, and lead investigator on 

the project. “The SOFIA observations show changes in the dusty 
at NASA

News

 X-Press October 2019

Loverro is 

HEO chief

Bridenstine sees X-57

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine had a firsthand look at the agency’s all-electric X-57 Maxwell in its first of three 

configurations as an electric aircraft, following the vehicle’s Oct. 2 delivery to Armstrong. Bridenstine and Deputy 

Administrator James Morhard were briefed by project managers, pilots, engineers and leadership as he inspected the 

aircraft in its current configuration called Modification II, or Mod II, which features the replacement of traditional 

combustion engines with electric motors. The administrator received updates as the team prepares the vehicle for Mod 

II ground systems testing, to be followed by ground taxi tests and ultimately flight tests.

Former NASA astronaut 

Vance Brand visited Armstrong for a discussion on 

the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. Patrick Stoliker, AFRC’s deputy center 

director, introduced and 

interviewed Brand during 

the event. Brand shared 

his experience in mission 

control during the Apollo 

13 mission, as an astronaut 

for the Apollo-Soyuz mission, and commander for 

three space shuttle missions. 

He also shared his thoughts 

on NASA’s plan for the 

Artemis return to the Moon 

program and on to Mars. AFRC2019-0244-18 NASA/Ken Ulbrich

Brand recalls space missions

AFRC2019-250-27 NASA/Lauren Hughes

Douglas Loverro is NASA’s 

new associate administrator for 

the Human Exploration and 

Operations Mission Directorate. 

Loverro succeeds former astronaut 

Kenneth Bowersox who has been 

acting associate administrator 

since July.

“I worked with Doug for 

many years on the Hill and he 

is a respected strategic leader in 

civilian and defense programs, 

overseeing the development 

and implementation of highly 

complicated systems,” said NASA 

Administrator Jim Bridenstine 

who selected him.

For three decades, Loverro was 

in the U.S. Department of Defense 

and the National Reconnaissance 

Office developing, managing and 

establishing national policy for 

the full range of National Security 

space activities. 

From 2013 to 2017, he served 

as the deputy assistant secretary 

of defense for space policy. In 

this role, he was responsible for 

establishing policy for the United 

States allies to the benefits of 

space capabilities and to help 

guide the department’s strategy 

for addressing space-related issues. 

He led departmental activities in 

international space cooperation, 

assessment of the national 

security impacts of commercial 

space activities and oversaw the 

establishment of a strategy for 

addressing growing challenges in 

space security.

He earned the Secretary of 

Defense’s Medal for Outstanding 

Public Service, the Lifetime 

Achievement Award from the 

Federation of Galaxy Explorers, 

and many other honors.
X-Press October 2019 X-Press October 2019

AFRC2019-0260-32 NASA/Ken Ulbrich

The X-57 Mod II wing was delivered to Armstrong Oct 2, as was the fuselage. 

The two parts were reattached to advance closer toward flight testing.

AFRC2019-0242-33 NASA/Lauren Hughes

The X-57 Mod II wing is carefully prepared for a lift to position it over the 

fuselage for reattachment.

AFRC2019-0260-17 NASA/Ken Ulbrich

The X-57 Mod II wing is rejoined with the aircraft’s fuselage to begin preparations for reintegration.

AFRC2019-0260-53 NASA/Ken Ulbrich

The X-57 Mod II arrived at Armstrong Oct. 2 and will undergo a number of 

tests on the ground before beginning flight tests.

AFRC2019-0260-67 NASA/Ken Ulbrich

X-57

Steps to flight advance

By Matt Kamlet

Armstrong Public Affairs

The first all-electric configuration of NASA’s X-57 Maxwell is now at 

Armstrong.

The X-57, NASA’s first all-electric experimental aircraft, or X-plane – 

and the first crewed X-plane in two decades – was delivered by Empirical 

Systems Aerospace (ESAero) of San Luis Obispo, California Oct. 2, 

in the first of three configurations as an all-electric aircraft, known as 

Modification II, or Mod II.

The X-57’s Mod II vehicle features the replacement of traditional 

combustion engines on a baseline Tecnam P2006T aircraft with electric 

cruise motors. The delivery is a major milestone for the project, allowing 

NASA engineers to begin putting the aircraft through ground tests, to be 

followed by taxi tests and eventually flight tests.

“The X-57 Mod II aircraft delivery to NASA is a significant event 

marking the beginning of a new phase in this exciting electric X-plane 

project,” said X-57 Project Manager Tom Rigney.  “With the aircraft 

in our possession, the X-57 team will soon conduct extensive ground 

testing of the integrated electric propulsion system to ensure the aircraft 

is airworthy. We plan to rapidly share valuable lessons learned along the 

way as we progress toward flight testing, helping to inform the growing 

electric aircraft market.”

The fuselage and wing were separated at Scaled Composites in Mojave, 

where they had been integrated, and were transported on two semi-trucks 

The X-57 Mod II vehicle arrived Oct. 2 on two semi-trucks. The aircraft’s 

fuselage was on one truck and the wing on the other.

AFRC2019-0242-21 NASA/Lauren Hughes

The X-57 fuselage is carefully unloaded from a semi-truck after delivery to Armstrong.

AFRC2019-0242-45 NASA/Lauren Hughes

X-57, page 8

The X-57 fuselage is positioned under the Mod II wing section so that it can be reattached. The two major sections were joined at Scaled Composites in Mojave and 

separated for transport to Armstrong. Reintegration began shortly after the aircraft arrived. The X-57 is intended to help develop certification standards for emerging 

electric aircraft markets.
 X-Press October 2019 

Exercise, page 8

9-1-1

Syd Myers, an Armstrong confined space supervisor for a drill at Building 703, 

observes Plant 42 Fire Department responders extract a mannequin from a 

confined space as part of an emergency exercise.

AFRC2019-0248-17 NASA/Lauren Hughes

U.S Air Force Plant 42 Fire Department responder Alfonzo Ortega, reaching, 

hands Doug Mendez a gas meter to test the air in a confined space during an 

exercise at Building 703 in Palmdale. Dale McCoy, Armstrong confined space 

co-program manager, observes.

AFRC2019-0248-08 NASA/Lauren Hughes

Plant 42 Fire Department responders carry out the mannequin to an emergency vehicle during an emergency exercise at Building 703. Responders included 

from left, Kent Courter, Doug Mendez, Alfonzo Ortega, Cedric Willis, Tyler 

Lippens and Ricky Gimmestad.

AFRC2019-0248-01 NASA/Lauren Hughes

Building 703 confined space

exercise provided opportunities

to test equipment, build familiarity

A mannequin is used to simulate a 

worker who has collapsed and come 

free from a harness intended to extricate the worker in case of emergency 

as part of a confined spaces training 

at Armstrong’s Building 703 in Palmdale.

AFRC2019-0248-1 NASA/Lauren Hughes

AFRC2019-0248-4 NASA/Lauren Hughes

Syd Myers, an Armstrong confined 

space supervisor for a drill at Building 

703, called 9-1-1 to begin the exercise. 

Myers continued to update responders 

how the situation was evolving until 

help arrived.

By Jay Levine

X-Press editor

Emergencies can happen in 

confined spaces and it’s up to 

responders to be ready for the 

challenge.

As part of that preparation 

at Armstrong’s Building 703 in 

Palmdale, the NASA center and U.S. 

Air Force Plant 42 Fire Department 

in October orchestrated an effort to 

refine processes, improve response 

time and gain experience working 

together, said Dale McCoy, who 

works for Armstrong contractor 

MECX as confined space coprogram manager.

Building 703 houses NASA 

science aircraft such as the 

ER-2, DC-8 and C-20A, as well 

as the Stratospheric Observatory 

for Infrared Astronomy, a NASA 

747SP that features the world’s 

largest airborne infrared telescope. 

The building is located on property 

leased from the Los Angeles World 

Airports and shares a runway with 

them and the adjacent Air Force 

production plant.

The 37-minute drill began when 

McCoy saw his partner (in this case 

a mannequin) disconnected from 

his harness and collapsed near a fuel 

supply valve he was cleaning on a 

50,000-gallon fuel tank. The valve 

was in what’s called a secondary 

containment area used to access the 

valve and collect fuel in the event 

of a spill or situation where fuel 

unexpectedly exits the tank. 

It was unknown why the man 

collapsed and there could be an 

unseen hazard. McCoy could not 

get to him until the air quality 

was checked because 70% of 

confined space fatalities are the 

result of potential rescuers rushing 

to help and becoming overcome 

with chemicals or other unknown 

hazards.

McCoy immediately contacted 

Syd Myers, who works for MECX 

as a confined space program comanager and confined space 

supervisor in the drill. Myers called 
X-Press October 2019

disk on a timescale of only a 

few years.”

Infrared observations, such 

as those from SOFIA’s infrared 

camera called FORCAST, the 

Faint Object Infrared Camera 

for the SOFIA Telescope, are 

critical for uncovering clues 

hidden in cosmic dust. When 

observed with infrared light, 

this system is much brighter 

than expected from the stars 

alone. The extra energy comes 

from the glow of the dusty 

debris, which can’t be seen at 

other wavelengths.

While there are several 

mechanisms that could cause 

the dust to glow more brightly 

– it could be absorbing more 

heat from the stars or moving 

closer to the stars – these are 

unlikely to happen in just 

10 years, which is lightning 

fast for cosmic changes. A 

planetary collision, however, 

would easily inject a large 

amount of dust very quickly. 

This provides more evidence 

that two exoplanets crashed 

into each other. The team is 

analyzing data from follow-up 

observations to see if there are 

further changes in the system.

SOFIA is a Boeing 

747SP jetliner modified to 

carry a 106-inch diameter 

telescope. It is a joint project 

of NASA and the German 

Aerospace Center, DLR. 

NASA’s Ames Research 

Center in California’s Silicon 

Valley manages the SOFIA 

program, science and mission 

operations in cooperation 

with the Universities Space 

Research Association 

headquartered in Columbia, 

Maryland, and the German 

SOFIA Institute (DSI) at the 

University of Stuttgart. The 

aircraft is maintained and 

operated from Armstrong’s 

Building 703 in Palmdale.

SOFIA

... from page 2

Mark Skoog, principal investigator for 

Autonomy at NASA 

Armstrong, presents the 

coin he received as part 

of the Robert J. Collier 

Trophy to Connie Hines. 

The coin was given to 

Hines in recognition 

of her husband Dennis 

Hines, who passed Feb. 

1, 2017. Dennis Hines 

was an advocate for 

Skoog’s work that led to 

the Automatic Ground 

Collision Avoidance System. A variant of that 

system has saved at least 

eight lives in military 

jets and was a key part 

of the Collier Trophy 

nomination.

AFRC2019-0256-01 NASA/Carla Thomas

Haise

talks

career, 

Apollo

Fred Haise, a former Armstrong test pilot and NASA astronaut, spoke Oct. 30 at the base theater about his career. In 

the slide behind him is the Apollo 13 crew returning from the aborted Moon mission in 1970. From left in that image 

are lunar module pilot Haise, mission commander Jim Lovell and command module pilot John Swigert. The tense mission had people around the world concerned until the crew safely returned to Earth. Also at the event, Armstrong Deputy Director Patrick Stoliker spoke about the Artemis mission to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon.

AFRC2019-268-38 NASA/Ken Ulbrich

Honoring Dennis Hines’ advocacy
National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

NASA Armstrong Flight 

Research Center

P.O. Box 273

Edwards, California, 93523-0273

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use, $300

Editor: Jay Levine, 

Logical Innovations, ext. 3459

Managing Editor: Steve Lighthill, NASA

Chief, Strategic Communications:

 Kevin Rohrer, NASA

Address: P.O. Box 273, 

Building 4800, MS 1422

Edwards, California, 93523-0273

Phone: 661-276-3449

FAX: 661-276-3167

The X-Press is published the first Friday of 

each month for civil servants, contractors 

and retirees of the NASA Armstrong Flight 

Research Center.

X-Press October 2019

X-57... from page 4

Exercise... from page 6

to Armstrong. Shortly following the 

arrival, the sections were unloaded 

and unwrapped, and crews began 

integration to reunite the wing with 

the fuselage.

While X-57’s Mod II vehicle 

begins systems validation testing 

on the ground, preparation for the 

project’s following phases, Mods III 

and IV, are underway. For example, 

loads testing on the new, highaspect-ratio wing concluded in 

September at NASA Armstrong’s 

Flight Loads Laboratory. The wing, 

which will be featured on the 

Mods III and IV configurations, 

will be undergoing fit checks on a 

fuselage at ESAero, ensuring timely 

transition from the project’s Mod II 

phase to Mod III.

“ESAero is thrilled to be 

delivering the MOD II X-57 

Maxwell to NASA AFRC,” said 

ESAero President and CEO Andrew 

Gibson.  “In this revolutionary 

time, the experience and lessons 

learned from early requirements 

to current standards development, 

has the X-57 paving the way. This 

milestone, along with receiving 

the successfully load-tested MOD 

III wing back, will enable NASA, 

ESAero and the small business 

team to accelerate and lead electric 

air vehicle distributed propulsion 

development on the MOD III 

and MOD IV configurations with 

integration at our facilities in San 

Luis Obispo.”

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.

The X-57 team is using a “design 

driver” as a technical challenge 

to drive lessons learned and best 

practices. This design driver 

includes a 500% increase in highspeed cruise efficiency, zero in-flight 

carbon emissions, and flight that is 

much quieter for communities on 

the ground.

The X-57 project operates under 

the Integrated Aviation Systems 

Program’s Flight Demonstrations 

and Capabilities project, within 

NASA’s Aeronautics Research 

Mission Directorate.

9-1-1 and continued to update 

responders regarding how the 

situation was evolving until help 

arrived. Responders had to use 

multi-gas detection meters to test 

the air because isopropyl alcohol 

was used to clean the fuel valve. 

It could be hazardous in heavy 

concentration.

Once it was determined there 

wasn’t an airborne threat, rescuers 

attached the mannequin to its 

safety harness for extraction from 

the bottom of the access area that 

has six-foot tall walls.

“Close coordination with all of 

the emergency responders is vital 

for continual process improvement 

in the event there is an emergency,” 

McCoy said. “There are so many 

moving parts in an emergency and 

in this drill that included a number 

of Armstrong organizations 

to allow the exercise to unfold 

without complicating day-to-day 

operations.”

The exercise also had another 

purpose.

“We recently purchased some 

new rescue equipment for this 

exact type of emergency,” he said. 

“A rescue winch is attached to 

the entrants harness for a quick 

extraction in case a situation 

unforlds like the one in the 

exercise.”

Air Force Plant 42 responders 

said the new equipment saved 

at least an hour and simplified 

getting to the injured person, as 

they would have to piece together 

equipment for that job otherwise, 

said Myers.

“This was a chance for us to 

demonstrate the equipment and 

train with Air Force Plant 42 Fire 

Department rescuers on how to 

use it,” Myers said.

The four months of planning, 

coordination and preparation 

made the exercise a success, 

McCoy said. Such exercises are 

annual at Building 703 and 

main base on Edwards to keep 

responders sharp.

 “It was fantastic,” McCoy 

said. “There are always areas 

for improvement, but that’s 

why we do it. We take those 

lessons learned and gained some 

familiarization with the new 

equipment and experience working 

with the responders.” 

“It also was an opportunity to 

use our checklists and it was the 

first chance for some responders to 

learn on the fly the necessary calls 

and helped us learn in case of an 

actual event what we have to do, 

refine our procedures and share 

best practices,” Myers added.

In an actual emergency, McCoy 

explained, Plant 42 personnel 

would respond if the incident were 

aircraft or fuel tank related, while 

L.A. County responders would lead 

in an emergency such as a facility 

related confined space, depending 

on location and the nature of the 

emergency.