(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD ) -- Airline travelers are used to being instructed to turn off computers and cell phones during takeoffs and landings as a precaution against interfering with the plane’s navigational equipment, but outside sources of high-energy interference can be even more dangerous. Recent tests by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will provide much needed, independent data on how electromagnetic radiation penetrates aircraft, helping to ensure continued air travel safety.

Testing equipment being used by NIST scientists in recent research mapping radio frequency penetration of airframes, in this case a Boeing 737-200. The data from the tests provided valuable independent data on how electromagnetic radiation penetrates commercial aircraft, thereby helping improve safety. Credit: NIST

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