NASA has announced the launch of the “New Aviation Horizons” program aimed at developing green aviation technologies. The idea is to develop an entirely new generation of X-Planes over the next decades to speed up the adoption of advanced green aviation technologies by the industry. NASA has been instrumental in developing cutting-edge aviation technologies in the past as well so this new program is going to be a good step for the future of aviation.
It was NASA’s X-1 plane piloted by Chuck Yeager that broke the sound barrier in October 1947. NASA’s X-series of planes have a special place in aviation history as they have provided major breakthroughs for the industry. The last jet in this series was the X-56 which was tested in 2013 for long endurance unmanned flights.
This time around the focus is on adopting greener technologies for the aviation industry and to reduce the industry’s reliance on fossil fuels. This shift is also required to drastically reduce the carbon footprint.
NASA has already awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin for a new supersonic jet with Quiet Supersonic Technology so that the sonic boom is reduced and these super fast planes can be used regularly around populated areas. The new supersonic jet is likely to enter testing by 2020.
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