NASA, the US space agency, is collaborating with Boeing to develop a next-generation commercial airplane that emits less carbon. NASA, whose mandate includes aeronautical research, will contribute $425 million to the “Sustainable Flight Demonstrator” (SFD) project over a seven-year period, while Boeing and its partners would spend an estimated $725 million.
The goal is to develop future commercial aircraft that are “more fuel efficient, with benefits to the environment, the commercial aviation industry, and passengers globally,” according to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
“If we are successful, we may see these technologies in planes that the public takes to the skies in the 2030s,” Nelson said in a statement on Wednesday.
NASA and Boeing have agreed to develop, test, and fly a full-scale single-aisle demonstrator aircraft.
“The technologies demonstrated and tested as part of the SFD program will inform future designs and could lead to breakthrough aerodynamics and fuel efficiency gains,” Boeing said.
Boeing chief engineer Greg Hyslop said it “has the potential to make a major contribution toward a sustainable future.”
According to NASA, engineers will strive to develop an airplane with fuel consumption and emissions reductions of up to 30% compared to today’s most efficient single-aisle aircraft.
The government intends to finish SFD testing by the late 2020s so that the design can be used for the next generation of single-aisle aircraft
The government intends to finish SFD testing by the late 2020s so that the technology and design can be used for the next generation of single-aisle aircraft. Single-aisle aircraft are the most common in airline fleets and account for nearly half of the worldwide aviation emissions, NASA said
Boeing and NASA intend to fly-test a novel wing called the transonic truss-braced wing, which produces less drag and consumes less fuel. The wings are positioned on top of the fuselage and are stabilized by diagonal struts.
NASA and Boeing claimed the next-generation plane’s development might contribute to the White House and industry’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions from aviation by 2050.