NASA worked with its partners and the private sector to advance sustainable aviation by developing and testing new green technologies that will revolutionize air transportation. The knowledge and technology generated by the agency will provide regulators and industry with new ways to integrate sustainable solutions. Over the past year, the agency:
- Supported research to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 through its Sustainable Flight National Partnership, including composite material testing under Hi-Rate Composite Aircraft Manufacturing and the development of a smaller engine core through Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core.
- Reached new milestones in its Quesst mission with its centerpiece, the X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator aircraft, starting with critical ground tests and ending the year with the installation of the aircraft's engine. Other progress included wind tunnel tests at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and in Japan.
- Tested the high-voltage systems and batteries for the all-electric X-57 Maxwell aircraft before installing its 400-pound battery packs, paving the way for future ground and flight tests. The project will share its knowledge to advance U.S. development of smaller sustainable all-electric vehicles.
- Issued a call for private sector proposals under its Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project for an aircraft and technologies that can help inform the design of low-emission, single-aisle commercial airliners in the near future. NASA will issue an award in early 2023.
- Completed ground tests with the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program to compare the levels of soot particles in sustainable aviation fuel versus traditional jet fuel burning in a 777-200ER aircraft's engines.
- Formalized an international research agreement and added new partners to its Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) mission. AAM projects explored how to integrate autonomous drones and other future aircraft into emergency response, healthcare, and perimeter surveillance. Research also addressed the noise new aircraft may generate and vertiports they'll need to take off and land.
- Unveiled upgrades to the AAM National Campaign's Mobile Operations Facility, which be used to support AAM flight testing.
- Tested Transonic Truss-Braced Wing aircraft technology designed to burn 8-10% less fuel than traditional winged aircraft.
- Conducted research for the agency and private sector using its Electric Aircraft Testbed including tests of a hybrid electric propulsion system powerful enough for a single-aisle commercial airliner.
- Advanced development of an innovative, solid-state battery pack that would be lighter, safer, and more suited to aviation than today's batteries.
- Used a 3D printing process to develop a new metal alloy, known as GRX-810, that can be used for applications including the insides of aircraft and rocket engines. The alloy can endure temperatures over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and survive 2,000 times longer than existing alloys.
- Partnered with Boeing to create shape-shifting devices that can raise or lower an airplane's vortex generators, wing components that cut down on drag a save on fuel consumption.
- Provided researchers from the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations with training from the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to understand controlled burns and aerial firefighting strategies.
- Broke ground for the Flight Dynamics Research Facility at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. This new wind tunnel will have new capabilities and lower maintenance costs.
- Conducted crash tests at Langley of a model of a midsize jet and a full-scale urban air mobility-style passenger vehicle, generating data about the resilience of composite materials and the likelihood of injuries in crashes.
- Selected new participants for the University Leadership Initiative, with students and researchers taking on some of the toughest challenges in aeronautics.
- Launched its newest competition for university students, Runway Functions: Predict Reconfigurations at U.S. Airports.
Prioritizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)
This year, NASA developed and launched an agencywide DEIA Strategic Plan to recruit, hire, support, engage, and retain the most talented and promising individuals, from all backgrounds and life experiences, to be part of the NASA family. NASA also:
- Launched its first Equity Action Plan to expand opportunities for traditionally underserved, underrepresented, and untapped communities to work with and learn from NASA.
- Through its Spanish-language outreach, NASA continued to translate many of its products, particularly those related to the agency's science missions. As part of the Equity Action Plan, NASA is committed to growing its Spanish-language communications team and translation capabilities.
- Ensured accessibility of NASA collected Earth science information, by making 54 of the most requested environmental data sets available on the cloud, with full transfer of NASA Earth science data to the cloud by 2025.
- Supported ongoing efforts to advance racial equity and expand research opportunities for historically underserved and underrepresented communities in the federal government through Earth science research grants for Minority Serving Institutions.
- Hosted an Equity Stakeholder Town Hall to openly share ideas on how the agency will continue to support underserved and underrepresented communities, and to gain insights from attendees on how to best implement the next phase of the plan.
- NASA awarded 39 proposals ($6.9 million for up to three years) focused on advancing progress on equity and environmental justice in the U.S. through the application of Earth science, geospatial, and socioeconomic information.
- Developed a 360-degree, interactive Artemis exhibit for nationwide events that includes excerpts from NASA's First Woman graphic novel and underscores the agency's plans to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.
- NASA astronaut Nicole Mann was the first Indigenous woman for NASA to go to space as part of Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station, and NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins became the first Black woman to serve a long duration mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.
- Produced and released a documentary, The Color of Space, featuring a conversation between seven current and former Black astronauts, each of whom were selected to become part of NASA's astronaut corps and train for missions to space.
- Collaborated with Google Arts & Culture to showcase the contributions of NASA's LGBTQ+ employees and how their work advances the agency's priorities.
- Launched the SMD Bridge Program to foster collaboration and partnerships between NASA centers and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority-Serving Institutions, Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, and high research universities. The program focuses on paid research and engineering internships, apprenticeships, and research experiences for faculty.
- Hosted a series of dialogues with agency leaders and other subject matter experts during the 51st Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference in Washington .
- Hosted a Twitter Spaces with science experts who discussed how space imagery is an experience people can read, touch, and hear via alternative text, rich image descriptions, tactile panels, 3D printed models, tactile plates, and sonifications.
- Connected more than 220 industry stakeholders and businesses with federal procurement experts and other leaders during its first virtual LGBTQ+ Vendor Equity Forum .
