Emerging Technologies

NASA’s Orion spacecraft prepares for upgrades as plans for the Artemis I test mission enter the home stretch.

Turboprop manufacturer ATR is studying “meaningful” changes to its existing aircraft platform and suggested an announcement on new developments could come in early 2022.

Despite supply chain slowdowns, the UltraFan demonstrator comes together as supporting tests continue.

A Japanese industrial team led by Mitsubishi Power is to develop a commercial-scale supply chain for sustainable aviation fuel.

Joby Aviation has become the first company to fly an electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft as part of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign.

The Netherlands aerospace center Royal NLR is conducting a series of flights with an electric aircraft under an initiative to help airports gain knowledge on the feasibility, potential and handling of electric-powered aircraft.

Harbour Air, MagniX and H55 have completed the preliminary design review on their electric propulsion modification for the 1940s-vintage de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver.

For one large commuter airline in the U.S., the lessons it is learning as the launch operator of a new conventionally powered aircraft could prove invaluable as it embraces electric aircraft.

CFM’s open-fan plan grabbed the headlines, but its dependence on gear development has the attention of Pratt and Rolls.

Rolls-Royce says the gearbox assembly in development for the heart of the company’s new high bypass demonstrator engine has set a record-breaking level of power transmission during preinstallation checkout tests.

Composites can enable the use of more and lighter blades to enhance aircraft performance.

Modeling decarbonization; Suborbital spaceplane flies; Satellite captures debris; Measuring Arctic methane; Navy VTOL delivery drone.

NASA stops work on lunar lander a second time after losing bidder files federal lawsuit.

Aviation regulators should start planning around the danger that aircraft impose on flyers and nonflyers alike through climate change.

Costain will assess the conditions required for storing hydrogen and the impact of its use on aircraft turnaround times at airports.

Startup HyPoint has entered into a $6.5 million collaborative agreement with Piasecki Aircraft to develop a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system for electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles.

New risks have emerged 20 years after 9/11, while COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized value of touchless, crowd-reducing protocols.

New satellite constellations seeding the $1 trillion space economy

German OEM Deutsche Aircraft has partnered with AERO-Bildung to begin training technicians for maintenance of its upcoming D328eco aircraft.

Velis Electro in the U.S.; Honeywell UAV satcom; water-based cubesat propulsion; faster SAF path; drone delivery partnership.

A new class of offensive hypersonic weapons and architectural refresh of defensive interceptors is on drawing boards for the U.S. Navy.

Ampaire completes trial flights with hybrid-electric testbed on regional airline route in Scotland.

Supported by the UK’s Future Flight Challenge, the SATE project is establishing a low-carbon aviation test center at Kirkwall.

A new process for producing jet fuel from ethanol with less energy and smaller facilities creates the potential for a distributed processing system located close to biomass sources, according to its developers.

New Zealand regional airline Sounds Air has confirmed its launch orders with Swedish startup Heart Aerospace for an initial three ES-19 electric 19-passenger aircraft.