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Boeing-SparkCognition JV Collaborates With NASA on Advanced Air Mobility Initiative – ExecutiveBiz

Liz Tang — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:12:20 +0000

SkyGrid, a joint venture between Boeing and SparkCognition, is collaborating with NASA Langley Research Center to incorporate essential capabilities, functions and services to support the integration of autonomous aircraft within the air transportation system.

The company said Friday it will help NASA Langley integrate its traffic surveillance software to support the unmanned aircraft system traffic management system and other distributed cooperative airspace management platforms as part of the agency’s advanced air mobility aircraft initiative.

SkyGrid and NASA Langley will also collaborate on optimizing UAS operations, such as cargo delivery and life-saving para-public services, in the national airspace system.

In addition, SkyGrid will provide critical data and insights to inform the development of new standards and procedures for safe and effective UAS operations.

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Electric Air Taxi Manufacturers Turn to NASA to Model Noise

Liz Tang — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 18:43:16 +0000

Manufacturers Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and Wisk Aero are among the firms using the agency’s Overflow technology.

Whether you love them, hate them, or are in the process of building them, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis have a key hurdle to overcome: noise. Air taxi manufacturers are turning to NASA for assistance.

According to the space agency, “several” eVTOL companies are deploying a NASA computer program to model their future operations and the noise they will produce. The program, called Overflow, was developed in the 1990s. But NASA tells FLYING it has made “significant improvements” to its code to improve its usefulness for the industry. The code is publicly available for download.

Manufacturers developing technology related to NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Mission—which explores passenger transport, cargo delivery, public service, and other applications for eVTOL designs—are being granted an early look at how their propellers, wings, and other components may perform in action.

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Biden’s NASA FY 2025 Budget Supports US Moon Mission, Climate Leadership

Liz Tang — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 18:11:01 +0000

The Biden-Harris Administration has unveiled the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which allocates funding to support various endeavors, including NASA’s space exploration and climate research efforts.
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Funding for Climate Science, Space Tech, STEM, and More.
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The budget allocates funds for missions and activities in climate science that aim to advance Earth systems science and increase accessibility to climate data. These efforts seek to mitigate natural hazards, support climate action, and manage natural resources more effectively.
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The budget also emphasizes support for the aeronautics program, with investments to develop hybrid-electric jet engines and lightweight aircraft structures. These advancements are expected to pave the way for more efficient and environmentally friendly commercial airliners…

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WATCH: NASA’S SABERS — Reimagining the use of Batteries for Next Generation Aircraft

Liz Tang — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 19:26:50 +0000

NASA researchers are working to revolutionize air travel by building a battery that’s safe, sustainable, powerful and light enough to power electric airplanes and more. Solid-state Architecture Batteries for Enhanced Rechargeability and Safety or SABERS research is supported by NASA’s Convergent Aeronautics Solutions team, and is developing solid-state battery cells that are safer on aircraft for longer flights. Watch and learn more about SABERS. To learn more, visit nasa.gov/CAS.

Follow along with the Transcript:

0:00 NASA’s work to revolutionize the future of aviation often starts with a “what if.”

0:07 What if we can fly safer, faster, longer?

0:14 At NASA our Convergent Aeronautic Solutions

0:17 team or CAS apply innovation and curiosity to explore the “what ifs.”

0:24 I’m Rocco Viggiano,

0:26 a researcher at NASA Glenn’s Research Center.

0:29 A few few years ago I wondered what if we could

0:32 build a battery that’s safe, high energy, and light enough to advance the development of

0:37 electric airplanes and today I’m proud to lead the research on solid state architecture batteries for

0:43 enhanced recharge-ability and safety or what we refer to as SABERS.

0:47 SABERS is in the early

0:49 stages of research for a battery specifically designed for electric aircraft

0:54 by using brand new materials and novel fabrication methods.

0:59 These discoveries can be game-changing.

1:02 The future of electric aircraft is in need

1:05 of a novel solution due to the use of lithium ion batteries which are

1:10 highly flammable and incapable of delivering the energy needed to sustain long flights.

1:17 SABERS is showing promise to provide a safer, lighter, longer lasting and more sustainable battery

1:23 than current state-of-the-art.

1:25 This can possibly lead to advances in space exploration missions

1:29 such as the Mars rover and Mars helicopter program.

1:32 Here at home this technology will

1:34 even impact electric cars and vehicles allowing double the current range on a single charge.

1:40 Early performance results around safety and energy are exceeding our initial expectations.

1:46 We’re currently maturing the research in hopes of closing the gap between the vision of sustainable

1:50 aviation and the implementation of safe, long duration flights by electric aircraft.

1:56 SABERS research is supported by CAS.

1:58 to learn more more about SABERS, CAS, or other NASA projects go to

2:04 www.nasa.gov/CAS or scan the QR code

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Boeing’s Sugar Volt is a hybrid aircraft with foldable wings (with NASA video)

Liz Tang — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 22:21:05 +0000

Despite its slightly amusing name, Boeing’s Sugar Volt aircraft is very sophisticated and, more importantly, a lot more efficient than most modern aircraft.

Boeing and NASA unveiled a hybrid aircraft concept.

It is around the same size as a Boeing 737, but it has much larger, and foldable, wings.

According to Boeing, this is 70 percent more efficient than a ‘regular’ aircraft.

This is Sugar Volt, a hybrid electric aircraft introduced by Boeing and NASA.

If you can gloss over the mildly amusing name, the technology behind it is top notch.

Sugar Volt is basically like a hybrid car, in that it combines an electric unit with a conventional jet fuel-powered engine.

The word ‘SUGAR’ in the name is actually stylized by Boeing in all caps, but that’s because it is an acronym.

It stands for Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research.

Sugar Volt has twin engines that burn fuel during takeoff, however, once the plane is airborne, the electric unit supplies additional power to the turbo fans.

When the plane is cruising at high altitudes, they can even be shut off completely.

This, according to Boeing, would allow airlines to save around 70 percent on fuel.

The concept isn’t new, it was actually unveiled about a decade ago, but it hasn’t been scrapped entirely yet.

Boeing engineers have had more than their fair share of headaches in recent times, but the project is still alive.

Back when it was unveiled, the timeframe provided was pretty loose, and well into the future.

They were talking about 2030 to 2050.

Another feature that sets the Sugar Volt apart is the wing design.

Just like the 777x, the Sugar Volt features foldable wings.

They’re foldable because they’re longer, and they’re longer because they’re designed to improve lift while reducing drag, thus improving fuel efficiency.

However, precisely because of their lengths, they can fold completely when needed, mostly so they can fit in the same hangars as other aircraft with smaller wings.

Since the demise of the Concorde, aerospace companies simply went along with the status quo.

Each new aircraft was basically just a tech ‘spec bump’ when compared to its predecessor.

Slightly faster, slightly more comfortable, slightly more fuel efficient.

But things are changing now.

It seems we’re finally exploring new ways to fly supersonic again, chiefly with the Boom Overture and the NASA X-59.

We’re also doing more to mass produce hydrogen or electric aircraft.

So maybe Boeing will go back to the drawing board and turn the Sugar Volt concept into a production airliner.

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NASA To Test High-Performance Batteries for Advanced Air Mobility

Liz Tang — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 11:01:00 +0000

Archer Aviation’s lithium-ion battery cells will be tested under extreme conditions to ensure the highest safety for advanced air mobility and space applications.

California-based Archer Aviation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are evaluating the safety of Archer’s high-performance battery cells for advanced air mobility and space applications. The partners plan to validate the technology for NASA’s mission-critical electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Archer’s batteries have already been deployed in Midnight, its air taxi designed to hold four passengers and a pilot. The NASA partnership will build on that experience with advanced safety testing, paving the way for securing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification in late 2024.

The announcement cited maturing battery technology as a significant trend fueling the adoption of eVTOL aircraft. The lithium-ion battery cells used in Midnight feature a cylindrical cell form factor. This design choice has a long track record demonstrating safety, performance, and production scalability. Cylindrical cells have been deployed in millions of electric vehicles, representing a strong supply chain.

However, aircraft battery manufacturing is still in the early stages. That’s part of the motivation behind Archer’s new partnership with NASA. By proving Archer’s battery cells are safe for potential mission-critical eVTOL aerospace applications, the technology can move closer to mass production, adoption, and expansion into more markets. NASA plans to share its results with the industry.

To test the battery cells’ safety, energy, and power performance under extreme conditions, the partners will use the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France, one of the world’s most advanced high-speed X-rays.

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MAGGIE: NASA plans massive solar-powered electric plane for Mars mission

Liz Tang — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 22:44:58 +0000

MAGGIE, the next-generation aircraft, would be capable of doing global-scale atmospheric measurements on Mars, ushering in a new age of space technology. It would be developed to travel 179 kilometers at 1,000 meters altitude on a fully charged battery in 7.6 Martian days (sol).

“MAGGIE is a compact fixed-wing aircraft with ultra-high productivity efficiency powered by solar energy to fly in the Martian atmosphere with vertical take-off/landing (VTOL) capability,” says NASA.

The concept has been proposed by US-based aerospace company Coflow Jet, LLC.

MAGGIE’s mission involves a comprehensive exploration strategy, aiming to unravel mysteries related to Martian geophysics, atmospheric chemistry, and the planet’s potential for supporting past or present life. The data collected will be instrumental in advancing our knowledge of Mars and expanding the possibilities for future exploration and research.

MAGGIE would be developed in such a way that it could travel 179 kilometers at 1,000 meters altitude on a fully charged battery in 7.6 Martian days (sol).

MAGGIE’s entire range is estimated to be an impressive 16,048 kilometers during a Martian year.

MAGGIE would perform at least three extensive atmospheric and geophysical studies during its mission, according to current preliminary plans.

The data and observations collected by the aircraft would significantly contribute to our understanding of various Martian phenomena.

Among the set science goals, NASA aims to study the origin and timing of the Martian core dynamo, investigate the source of methane signals in Gale Crater, and map subsurface water ice in the mid-latitudes.

“The conceptual MAGGIE system study indicates that the concept appears to be feasible, but need to be further investigated, designed, and verified under Martian atmospheric conditions in Phase I,” noted NASA.

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Joby, NASA Simulation Demonstrates Up To 120 DFW Air Taxi Operations Per Hour

Liz Tang — Sat, 23 Dec 2023 00:04:41 +0000

During simulations at NASA’s FutureFlight Central, air taxi operations were simulated buzzing around the busy, complex Dallas-Fort Worth airspace. Joby and NASA’s goal: evaluating how this next-gen traffic can be integrated into today’s airspace using existing air traffic control tools and procedures.

The potential for future electric air taxi services in Dallas-Fort Worth is getting lots of takeoff these days. Last month, we told you about the city of Arlington and DFW Airport partnering with California-based Overair to bring air taxi operations to the region. Wednesday we told you about Overair building its first full-scale “Butterfly” eVTOL aircraft.

The latest news: California-based Joby Aviation announced it has successfully completed a series of air traffic simulations with NASA’s Ames Research Center based on the “complex, busy” Dallas-Fort Worth airspace. Joby is developing its own electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service.

Developed jointly by Joby and NASA airspace engineers following a multi-year airspace study, the simulations “tested scenarios with dozens of eVTOL aircraft per hour flying into and out of” the DFW region using today’s airspace system, Joby said.

Up to 120 air taxi operations per hour were simulated buzzing around the busy North Texas airspace—with the goal of evaluating how this next-gen traffic can be integrated into today’s airspace using existing air traffic control tools and procedures.

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GE Aerospace advances sustainable engine tech with NASA contract

Liz Tang — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 20:11:27 +0000

NASA and GE Aerospace are teaming up to revolutionize the future of flight with the Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC) program, which seeks to design and test the next generation of commercial aircraft engines that will significantly improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

The HyTEC program, which began in 2021, focuses on developing advanced technologies for the core components of the engine, namely the high-pressure compressor, the combustor, and the high-pressure turbine. These components compress, burn, and expand the air-fuel mixture that generates thrust.

The new contract, announced on Monday, will allow GE Aerospace to proceed with Phase 2 of the program, which will involve maturing the technologies for a core demonstrator test later this decade. The test will also evaluate the engine’s performance when using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) derived from renewable sources such as biomass or waste.

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WATCH: NASA batteries safe, high energy, and light enough to advance the development of electric aircraft

Liz Tang — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Innovations often begin with a “what if?” What if we could build a battery that’s safe, high energy, and light enough to advance the development of electric aircraft? Researchers @nasaglenn are exploring this possibility through a project called SABERS. Watch+learn more

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