Emerging Technologies

ThereCraft cargo UAV; Aeronomie models electrification; TsAGI refines flying wing; EHang teams with Seville; Urban partners with Ascent.

The air cargo sector knows it needs to be more sustainable, and efforts are gaining ground.

As the aviation industry expands its support for initiatives to reduce its environmental impact, more countries, airlines and companies are making

Taking 18 years to fly people in space won’t cut it to get to Mars, says Musk.

The £65 million ($78m) facility, due to open this summer, will lead research into digital aviation technology.

Advanced ICBMs drive faster schedule, but can MDA deliver?

American Airlines, ACSS and the FAA are collecting data on the operational value of flights using ADS-B In.

NASA looks to industry power train demonstrators to advance electrified aircraft propulsion.

Safran powers VoltAero; scaling quantum computers; automating dogfighting; eVTOL in Norway; safer batteries; drone delivery bases.

Northrop Grumman takes a next step on in-orbit satellite servicing through a public-private partnership with DARPA.

NASA is formulating a new, “multi-tech” strategy to pave the way towards a possible next-generation, subsonic, electrified X-plane

With a 2024 deadline to land crew on the Moon, NASA is putting its procurement processes on speed drive.

Alongside sustainable fuels and electric propulsion, hydrogen has a role in helping aviation address emissions challenges and industry should allocate resources to exploring its potential, concludes a report by European consultants Roland Berger.

EASA and Eurocontrol release reports providing a road map and action plan for artificial intelligence in aviation and air traffic management.

The project, initiated by Safran, involves regional companies working in agricultural chemicals and energy that plan to work together to produce and distribute sustainable biofuels.

Aireon and Searidge Technologies have announced a partnership to integrate satellite-routed position data from aircraft into Searidge’s “digital tower” platform for large airports.

Battery thermal-management company Kulr Technology Group has developed a design for lithium-ion batteries that prevents cell-to-cell propagation of a thermal runaway.

Finnair will work with Finnish oil company Neste to increase the airline’s use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and boost production capacity in Finland.

Russian aerohydrodynamic institute TsAGI has completed a new series of wind-tunnel tests on a low-drag, low-noise concept for a short-range airliner.

The Launch Challenge, intended to show “anywhere, anytime” capability to launch smallsats to LEO, ended without the prize money claimed.

The design is for a considerable aircraft with a span of 16 m. But funding is needed.

Norway electrifies; Boom slips; repairing satellites; GoFly unfinished; Joby flies for NASA; fluidic propulsion.

SpaceX’s Elon Musk may have stunned the Air Force Association with his statement that the time for manned fighter aircraft has passed. Aviation Week editors explain why that was shocking – and why it wasn’t.

Government funding to play a key role as industry looks to apply electric propulsion technology to larger aircraft.

Commercial orbital debris mitigation services are on the horizon, but operators will expect low costs.