Holloman Maglev System

With team members Boeing North America, Bechtel, and Foster-Miller, GA is leading an effort to develop a magnetically levitated (Maglev) high speed test facility for the Air Force High Speed Test Track at Holloman Air Force Base, NM

A team led by GA is developing a magnetic levitation (maglev) system as an upgrade of the high-speed test track operated by the USAF 846th Test Squadron at Holloman AFB.

The goal is to provide a low-vibration environment for payloads on rocket-propelled sleds for speeds from up to Mach 10. This system provides the capability to test flight items on the ground at speeds identical to those seen during flight. The primary advantages of this are lower cost and less risk.

The GA team includes Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, CA; Bechtel National Inc., San Francisco, CA; and Foster-Miller Inc., Waltham, MA. General Atomics is responsible for magnetics design and fabrication, Boeing is responsible for sled design and performance, Bechtel National for guideway and foundation design, and Foster-Miller for magnetics evaluation.

The design uses superconducting magnets attached to the rocket-powered sleds, which interact with passive coils in the guideway for levitation and guidance. Proof-of-principle flight tests to date have reached levitated speeds of 247 mph.

For more information contact:
Donald Ketchen, Program Manager
Donald.Ketchen@gat.com