NASA Eyes Popular PC Hardware Performance Tool for Its Flight Simulators (tomshardware.com)
(Thursday January 22, 2026 @05:40PM (msmash)
from the moving-forward dept.)
- Reference: 0180639228
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/01/22/185234/nasa-eyes-popular-pc-hardware-performance-tool-for-its-flight-simulators
- Source link: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/nasa-taps-popular-pc-hardware-performance-tool-for-cockpit-simulations-government-software-approval-process-for-capframex-started-by-the-space-agency
NASA Langley has initiated the U.S. government software [1]approval process to install CapFrameX, a benchmarking tool popular among PC gaming enthusiasts, on its cockpit simulators used to train test pilots. The space agency reached out to CapFrameX, not the other way around, according to an X post from the company.
NASA [2]builds custom flight simulators from scratch for experimental aircraft like the X-59, a supersonic jet designed to produce a quiet thump rather than the traditional sonic boom. The agency's simulator teams replicate every switch, dial and knob to match the actual cockpit layout, helping pilots build muscle memory before flying the real thing.
[1] https://x.com/CapFrameX/status/2014262897887645778
[2] https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/nasa-taps-popular-pc-hardware-performance-tool-for-cockpit-simulations-government-software-approval-process-for-capframex-started-by-the-space-agency
NASA [2]builds custom flight simulators from scratch for experimental aircraft like the X-59, a supersonic jet designed to produce a quiet thump rather than the traditional sonic boom. The agency's simulator teams replicate every switch, dial and knob to match the actual cockpit layout, helping pilots build muscle memory before flying the real thing.
[1] https://x.com/CapFrameX/status/2014262897887645778
[2] https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/nasa-taps-popular-pc-hardware-performance-tool-for-cockpit-simulations-government-software-approval-process-for-capframex-started-by-the-space-agency
What if we don't want to hear thumps? (Score:2)
NASA is wasting tax money, trying to make a resource wasteful means of travel work, for a select wealthy few, to likely benefit one plane manufacturer.