June 30, 2015

M15-100

NASA will host a behind-the-scenes tour of the Vehicle Integrated Propulsion Research (VIPR) project at the agency's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California on Thursday, July 9.
Media interested in participating should contact Peter Merlin at 661-276-2679 orpeter.w.merlin@nasa.gov no later than 10 a.m. on Monday, July 6. Participants should arrive at the Edwards Air Force Base West Gate Visitor Control Center by 8:30 a.m. PDT.
VIPR is preparing for a third and final round of testing with three objectives: incorporate smart sensors designed to improve flying safety and reduce costs, detect potential engine faults and evaluate advances in engine diagnostics.
A morning briefing will cover the current status and objectives of the VIPR project, followed by a tour of the test setup, which involves ground testing of a C-17 cargo transport plane and one of its engines -- a military version of a commercial engine used on the Boeing 757.
The event will give journalists an opportunity to learn more about the intricacies of testing and evaluating new engine diagnostic technologies and ask questions of investigators involved in the research process.

Image: Oil smoke billows from the right inboard engine of the C-17 while a probe collects emissions data, one of numerous tests conducted during Phase I of VIPR engine health monitoring tests.