NASA tests new blended wing design with lasers

Deep inside a 14-by 22 foot subsonic tunnel, engineers at the Langley Research Center in Virginia are using lasers to map the air flow around the new Boeing Blended Wing Body aircraft.

The process used by NASA to test airflow is called particle image velocimetry. During the process, cameras can record the movement of particles as the laser light bounces off them. The engineers can then determine the flow once the images are processed.

The craft, which Boeing says is a greener and quieter airplane, is currently in development.