NASA funds $11.5 million in research on future aircraft

NASA is funding five organizations to research new commercial aircraft with reduced emissions and more efficiency in mind .

The project to design a new generation aircraft is part of the "Advanced Aircraft for Environmental Sustainability 2050" (AACES 2050) initiative. Accordingly, five organizations participating in the design of the new aircraft include: Boeing's Aurora Flight Sciences, aerospace company Electra, Georgia Institute of Technology, aviation startup JetZero and Pratt & Whitney.

Illustration of NASA's future passenger aircraft. (Photo: Electra).

Through initiatives like AACES, NASA will seek solutions on how to increase aircraft efficiency, reduce the environmental impact of aviation and enhance America's technological competitiveness in the 2040s, 2050s and beyond, said Bob Pearce, associate administrator of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.

The total funding for these five studies is $11.5 million. Each organization focuses on research in its own area of ​​expertise, from alternative fuels to propulsion technology and aerodynamic design.

Aurora Flight Sciences will research alternative aviation fuels, propulsion systems, aerodynamic technologies and aircraft configurations.

Electra will explore electric motors and unique aerodynamic design features for the fuselage and wings to reduce emissions and noise.

Georgia Tech will focus on sustainable technologies, including alternative fuels, propulsion systems and aircraft configurations. JetZero will explore technology that uses cryogenic liquid hydrogen as a fuel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Pratt & Whitney will research aviation propulsion technology, focusing on improving thermal and propulsion efficiency to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

'The selected proposals come from a wide range of organizations and will provide exciting and diverse exploration of scenarios, technologies, and aircraft concepts that will help the aviation industry move toward transformative sustainability goals,' said Nateri Madavan, director of NASA's Advanced Air Vehicles Program .

Aircraft designs developed through AACES could enter service within the next 25 years. By reducing aircraft's reliance on traditional fuel sources that emit greenhouse gases, NASA is supporting the U.S. aviation industry's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.