Important Innovations

  New NASA e-Plane May Fly This Year                                                                                                Source:  NASA Green Skies with the X-57 Maxwell NASA is spearheading a major transformation of the airline industry to electric power.  NASA's experimental plane, the X-57 Maxwell, is powered solely by electricity.  Maxwell is a member of NASA's distinguished tradition of X Planes, which are experimental. NASA expects to fly it this year to prove that Maxwell's unique electric technology works.  NASA converted a gas powered Italian Tecnam P2006T into the electric powered Maxwell.  The e-plane is a two-seater.  First flight is expected in late summer 2022. Unique Aviation Technology According to NASA, the aircraft's unique electric propulsion system allows the aircraft designers to develop new functionalities and much greater efficiency for the new plane.  Maxwell has no fuel tanks.  It uses rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to power the el

  New NASA e-Plane May Fly This Year                                                        Source:  NASA Green Skies with the X-57 Maxwell NASA is spearheading a major transformation of the airline industry to electric power.  NASA's experimental plane, the X-57 Maxwell, is powered solely by electricity.  Maxwell is a member of NASA's distinguished tradition of X Planes, which are experimental. NASA expects to fly it this year to prove that Maxwell's unique electric technology works.  NASA converted a gas powered Italian Tecnam P2006T into the electric powered Maxwell.  The e-plane is a two-seater.  First flight is expected in late summer 2022. Unique Aviation Technology According to NASA, the aircraft's unique electric propulsion system allows the aircraft designers to develop new functionalities and much greater efficiency for the new plane.  Maxwell has no fuel tanks.  It uses rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to power the electric motors and propellers.  The vehic

  NASA Is Gaining Altitude on its X-59 SST with Lockheed Martin                                   Source:  NASA & Lockheed Martin How Could It Impact Passenger Travel? NASA and partner Lockheed Martin are on the threshold of creating a next-generation supersonic jet.  The SST under development is nicknamed the "Son of Concorde".  It's also dubbed the X-59 QueSST. It is on a development trajectory to cut air travel times in half.  For instance, a flight from New York City to London would take just 3 hours.  The impact of the X-59 could be huge, initially,  for anyone doing long distance flying from coast to coast in the US and also from the US to Europe.  And that is just the beginning. If this very promising aviation technology comes to full fruition, the impact on cutting flight times would be global. New Concorde The X-59 is designed to minimize sonic booms that forced the original Concorde to slow down over land, increase flight times and become increasingly unecon

  NASA's 1st Moon Rocket Mission Since Apollo                                                Source:  NASA Artemis 1 Artemis 1 NASA is making a return to the Moon.  The NASA Artemis 1 mission will be launched in February 2022.  It will contain the latest, next-generation of deep space exploration technologies for Artemis 1 to explore on and around the Moon.  NASA will use it huge and powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to reach the Moon.  The SLS rocket is 332 feet tall!  The Apollo missions officially ended in 1975.  NASA is investing a great deal of technology, strategic goals and NASA agency scientific aspirations into their newest venture to the Moon.  Integrated Testing Underway for Take-off This mission will be conducted without any human crew onboard.  What NASA calls final integrated tests are now taking place.  The tests include interface verification, total end to end communications systems, specific engineering programs and much more.  The technology involved is aw

  NASA's 1st Moon Rocket Mission Since Apollo                                                Source:  NASA Artemis 1 Artemis 1 NASA is making a return to the Moon.  The NASA Artemis 1 mission will be launched in February 2022.  It will contain the latest, next-generation of deep space exploration technologies for Artemis 1 to explore on and around the Moon.  NASA will use it huge and powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to reach the Moon.  The SLS rocket is 332 feet tall!  The Apollo missions officially ended in 1975.  NASA is investing a great deal of technology, strategic goals and NASA agency scientific aspirations into their newest venture to the Moon.  Integrated Testing Underway for Take-off This mission will be conducted without any human crew onboard.  What NASA calls final integrated tests are now taking place.  The tests include interface verification, total end to end communications systems, specific engineering programs and much more.  The technology involved is aw

  NASA Is Partnering With Orlando, FL on eVTOLs                                                                                      Source:  Lillium Preparations Underway to Welcome Urban Air Mobility Vehicles NASA is partnering with the city of Orlando, Florida to welcome, develop facilities and infrastructure and establish a regulatory environment to accommodate flying taxis and flying cars.  The city of Orlando's first vertiport for vertical takeoffs and landings of eventual fleets of flying taxis will be built by Lillium, the German based leading developer of electric vertical take-off and landing flying taxis (eVTOLS).  The first vertiport in the US is planned for the Lake Nona area of Orlando.  The vertiport is expected to cost $25 million with two landing pads and the capacity to charge 8 vehicles simultaneously.  Many more vertiports in Florida are planned from Miami to Palm Beach and beyond.  It's the beginning of a revolutionary new way to travel within cities and ci

  NASA Is Partnering With Orlando, FL on eVTOLs                                                                                      Source:  Lillium Preparations Underway to Welcome Urban Air Mobility Vehicles NASA is partnering with the city of Orlando, Florida to welcome, develop facilities and infrastructure and establish a regulatory environment to accommodate flying taxis and flying cars.  The city of Orlando's first vertiport for vertical takeoffs and landings of eventual fleets of flying taxis will be built by Lillium, the German based leading developer of electric vertical take-off and landing flying taxis (eVTOLS).  The first vertiport in the US is planned for the Lake Nona area of Orlando.  The vertiport is expected to cost $25 million with two landing pads and the capacity to charge 8 vehicles simultaneously.  Many more vertiports in Florida are planned from Miami to Palm Beach and beyond.  It's the beginning of a revolutionary new way to travel within cities and ci

  Joby Aviation's e-VTOL Being Tested by NASA                                                                      Source:  Joby and NASA NASA's Ultimate Goal:  Safely Accelerate Use of Air Taxis NASA has started testing a future air taxi for use to ferry passengers and cargo, particularly in big, congested cities.  The vehicle is a six rotor, all electric e-VTOL (electric, vertical take off and landing vehicle) developed by startup company Joby Aviation of California.  This particular aircraft is designed to be as quiet as possible in order to operate in busy cities and relieve traffic congestion without a lot of noise pollution. Joby plans to put its flying taxis into commercial operation in 2024.  NASA's ultimate goal in initiating its testing program is to safely accelerate the use of flying taxis in the US. Air Noise Pollution Tests The tests are being conducted by NASA's Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) group, which has launched a national campaign for the development

  Joby Aviation's e-VTOL Being Tested by NASA                                                                      Source:  Joby and NASA NASA's Ultimate Goal:  Safely Accelerate Use of Air Taxis NASA has started testing a future air taxi for use to ferry passengers and cargo, particularly in big, congested cities.  The vehicle is a six rotor, all electric e-VTOL (electric, vertical take off and landing vehicle) developed by startup company Joby Aviation of California.  This particular aircraft is designed to be as quiet as possible in order to operate in busy cities and relieve traffic congestion without a lot of noise pollution. Joby plans to put its flying taxis into commercial operation in 2024.  NASA's ultimate goal in initiating its testing program is to safely accelerate the use of flying taxis in the US. Air Noise Pollution Tests The tests are being conducted by NASA's Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) group, which has launched a national campaign for the development

 Electra Aero Plane   - Something New in the  Sky                                                       Source:  Electra Aero NASA Invests in Electric Plane for Greener Skies Northern Virginia based aviation company Electra Aero, that specializes in ultra-short, electric takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft, has been partnering with the US Air Force for a few months.  Their highly innovative aviation technology has now caught the attention of NASA, which has jumped onboard to further develop this cutting edge air travel technology by investing in its development. Brand New Technologies Based on hybrid-electric propulsion, Electra Aero has invented an innovative, electric, very short vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. The aircraft's blown lift technology is the standout. It is an advanced aerodynamic technique allowing the aircraft to takeoff and land within 150 feet of its location, at a fraction of the power needed by an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff & landing vehicle) i

NASA Contracts with Electra Aero to Develop   Ultra Short Takeoff Plane                                                       Source:  Electra Aero NASA Invests in Electric Plane for Greener Skies Northern Virginia based aviation company Electra Aero, that specializes in ultra-short, electric takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft, has been partnering with the US Air Force for a few months.  Their highly innovative aviation technology has now caught the attention of NASA, which has jumped onboard to further develop this cutting edge air travel technology by investing in its development. Brand New Technologies Based on hybrid-electric propulsion, Electra Aero has invented an innovative, electric, very short vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. The aircraft's blown lift technology is the standout. It is an advanced aerodynamic technique allowing the aircraft to takeoff and land within 150 feet of its location, at a fraction of the power needed by an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff &a

  Supersonic Plane Faster Than the Speed of Sound                                                  Source:  NASA Could be Dawn of Global Supersonic Passenger Travel NASA and Lockheed Martin have designed what could be the supersonic jet of the future - the X-59 QueSST, meaning quiet supersonic technology.  The needle-nosed, ultra thin aircraft breaks the sound barrier without releasing sonic booms.   It has been designed to minimize shock waves down to the sound of a car door slamming down the street.  The minimal sound is critical for SST flights to resume  over land in the US.  Because of sonic booms, the FAA banned commercial SST flights over the US in 1973. A New Design of Aerodynamic Elegance According to NASA and Lockheed, they went back to the basics of aerodynamics to design an aircraft that flies faster than the speed of sound as quietly as possible.  They say the X-59 is a combination of highly advanced technology and elegant simplicity.  It is still under development. The cu

  Supersonic Plane Faster Than the Speed of Sound                                                  Source:  NASA Could be Dawn of Global Supersonic Passenger Travel NASA and Lockheed Martin have designed what could be the supersonic jet of the future - the X-59 QueSST, meaning quiet supersonic technology.  The needle-nosed, ultra thin aircraft breaks the sound barrier without releasing sonic booms.   It has been designed to minimize shock waves down to the sound of a car door slamming down the street.  The minimal sound is critical for SST flights to resume  over land in the US.  Because of sonic booms, the FAA banned commercial SST flights over the US in 1973. A New Design of Aerodynamic Elegance According to NASA and Lockheed, they went back to the basics of aerodynamics to design an aircraft that flies faster than the speed of sound as quietly as possible.  They say the X-59 is a combination of highly advanced technology and elegant simplicity.  It is still under development. The cu