NASA Wants to Create New X-Planes Powered by Greener Energy

NASA wants to make sure that the aviation industry is taking steps in the right direction when it comes to using eco-friendly fuel use, but this means that new aircraft need to be researched and developed. To this end, NASA has recently announced the launch of the New Aviation Horizons initiative, which aims to create a completely new generation of X-Planes. These X-Planes would be half as loud when compared to the aircraft that we see today, and they would also use half the fuel. The 10-year initiative aims to uncover new technologies that can push the industry forward in a significant way, but as you can probably imagine, much is going to depend on funding.

The first New Aviation Horizons contract was awarded in February to a Lockheed Martin team that wants to create a quieter supersonic passenger jet. The team will receive $20 million over the course of 17 months, by the end of which it must present a preliminary design for Quiet Supersonic Technology. In order to make sure that we won’t forget what the agency has achieved over the years, NASA has also launched a “With You When You Fly” campaign, which reminds us of the aeronautic advancements that it has made throughout recent history. As for X-Planes, they represent a series of experimental aircraft created only for research purposes. The X-1 is one of the most renowned aircraft of its kind, as it was the first high-speed aircraft built for solely to advance aviation research. It also helped Chuck Yeager break the sound barrier for the first time.