Last Thursday, NASA announced that the all-electric aircraft project will shut down later this year after years of research and development. The program will end without the flights of the X-57 Maxwell aircraft; however, the agency still considers the program a success with many lessons learned.

According to the space agency, the X-57 program will end in September 2023, after working for several years to replace old technologies and test new ones for flying the aircraft. The program encountered several safety issues during the aircraft’s flight, and NASA sees no way to fix programs without going over budget. While operations stand still, the researchers will continue to work for several more months to finalize technical papers on lessons learned throughout the program.

The X-57 is designed to help achieve the target of zero greenhouse gas emissions in the US aviation industry by 2050. While the airplane would never be more than an experiment, its purpose was to bring industry closer to that goal by promoting innovation and research in the industry. In this sense, he fulfilled his role without even airing.

The X-57 Maxwell is a modified Tecnam P2006T aircraft in which piston engines are replaced by two electric motors. However, this was not the last appearance of the aircraft.

Different wing designs and numbers of electric motors were tested, and the final form would include 14 engines spread over the entire wing: two large engines on the wingtips and 12 smaller ones on the remainder. This design gave the X-57 more thrust with a shorter wingspan, making it significantly quieter. Each engine will be powered individually, which will increase flight stability in high winds and increase overall efficiency.

While the X-57 inspired hopes and dreams of a future where all air travel would be electrified, it was not the end. NASA continues to explore this technology in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) systems and other electric aircraft engine applications. While NASA is often viewed as just a space agency, it was born out of NACA, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, and many of its efforts continue to this day.