The space agency on Thursday said the 82-year-old Nelson will take a ride in manufacturer Electra’s EL-2 Goldfinch—a hybrid-electric, experimental aircraft prototype designed to take off and land within soccer field-sized spaces.
The flight, set to lift off Sunday at 11:45 a.m. EST from Manassas Regional Airport (KHEF) in Virginia, will feature ultra short takeoffs and landings with less than 150 feet of ground roll, as well as a battery-only landing.
NASA last month tapped Electra and four others to help develop the core design and technology behind what it describes as a new generation of all-electric commercial airliners.
The space agency awarded the company a contract under its Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) 2050 program, an initiative for the U.S. to take the lead on decarbonizing aviation in the coming decades. AACES in turn falls under NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program, which studies new forms of propulsion and how they could impact aircraft noise and passenger comfort.
Since launching in 2020, Electra has completed several test flights with the Goldfinch, a unique design that relies on blown-lift propulsion for ultra short takeoffs and landings.
