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"Newton’s Law states that what goes up, must come down. Our Company Commander’s Law states that what goes up and comes down had damn well better be able to go back up again." -Sign in the Operations Office of the 187th Assault Helicopter Company, Tay Ninh, Viet Nam, 1971.

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Five Technologies Taking Aeronautics into the Future

Martian helicopters? Electric planes? Quiet supersonic flight?

The flight technologies of tomorrow are today’s reality at NASA. We’re developing a number of innovations that promise to change the landscape (skyscape?) of aviation. Here are five incredible aeronautic technologies currently in development:

1. The X-59 QueSST and Quiet Supersonic Technology

It might sound like an oxymoron, but ‘quiet boom’ technology is all the rage with our Aeronautics Mission Directorate. The X-59 QueSST is an experimental supersonic jet that hopes to reduce the sound of a supersonic boom to a gentle thump. We will gauge public reaction to this ‘sonic thump,’ evaluating its potential impact if brought into wider use. Ultimately, if the commercial sector incorporates this technology, the return of supersonic passenger flight may become a reality!

2. The X-57 Electric Plane

Electric cars? Pfft. We’re working on an electric PLANE. Modified from an existing general aviation aircraft, the X-57 will be an all-electric X-plane, demonstrating a leap-forward in green aviation. The plane seeks to reach a goal of zero carbon emissions in flight, running on batteries fed by renewable energy sources!

3. Second-Generation Search and Rescue Beacons

Our Search and Rescue office develops technologies for distress beacons and the space systems that locate them. Their new constellation of medium-Earth orbit instruments can detect a distress call near-instantaneously, and their second-generation beacons, hitting shelves soon, are an order of magnitude more accurate than the previous generation!

(The Search and Rescue office also recently debuted a coloring book that doesn’t save lives but will keep your crayon game strong.)

4. Earth from the Air

Earth science? We got it.

We don’t just use satellite technology to monitor our changing planet. We have a number of missions that monitor Earth’s systems from land, sea and air. In the sky, we use flying laboratories to assess things like air pollution, greenhouse gasses, smoke from wildfires and so much more. Our planet may be changing, but we have you covered.

5. Icing Research

No. Not that icing.

Much better.

Though we at NASA are big fans of cake frosting, that’s not the icing we’re researching. Ice that forms on a plane mid-flight can disrupt the airflow around the plane and inside the engine, increasing drag, reducing lift and even causing loss of power. Ice can also harm a number of other things important to a safe flight. We’re developing tools and methods for evaluating and simulating the growth of ice on aircraft. This will help aid in designing future aircraft that are more resilient to icing, making aviation safer.

There you have it, five technologies taking aeronautics into the future, safely down to the ground and even to other planets! To stay up to date on the latest and greatest in science and technology, check out our website: www.nasa.gov.

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