NASA has commissioned five different studies, worth a total of $11.5 million to develop a new generation of low-emission commercial aircraft that will provide a sustainable mode of travel. The space agency, through its Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) 2050 initiative, has posed the challenge to industry and academia to come up with aircraft design and concepts of the key technologies, required to develop the sustainable aircraft. AACES 2050 is part of NASA's Advanced Air Transport Technology project which evaluates and develops technologies for new aircraft systems and explores promising air travel concepts.
"Through initiatives like AACES, NASA is positioned to harness a broad set of perspectives about how to further increase aircraft efficiency, reduce aviation's environmental impact and enhance U.S. technological competitiveness in the 2040s, 2050s, and beyond," said Bob Pearce, NASA associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
"The proposals selected come from a diverse set of organizations that will provide exciting and wide-ranging explorations of the scenarios, technologies, and aircraft concepts that will advance aviation towards its transformative sustainability goals."
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Companies selected
NASA expects the companies to complete their studies by mid-2026. The five institutions that will form networks of university and corporate partners to advance their studies are:
Aurora Flight Sciences: A Boeing Company that will explore new alternative aviation fuels, aerodynamic technologies and propulsion systems.
Georgia Institute of Technology: The institute will focus on exploring new aircraft concepts, incorporating the selected technologies with their Advanced Technology Hydrogen Electric Novel Aircraft (ATH2ENA) as a starting point.
Pratt & Whitney: A division of RTX Corporation, Pratt & Whitney will explore a "broad suite of commercial aviation propulsion technologies targeting thermal and propulsive efficiency improvements", as per NASA.
JetZero: The company will focus on enabling cryogenic, liquid hydrogen to be used as a fuel for commercial aviation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Electra: The company will expand its electric propulsion and unique aerodynamic design capabilities to develop innovative wing and fuselage integrations for the aircraft. It will also work on noise reduction and improved air travel access.
in 2021, NASA launched its Sustainable Flight National Partnership, which led to the development of the experimental X-66 Sustainable Flight Demonstrator aircraft as well as the development of more efficient engine cores.
