According to an announcement made by NASA on Wednesday, the agency and Boeing will collaborate on the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project to build, test, and fly an emission-reducing single-aisle aircraft this decade.
“NASA has always been there for you when you fly. NASA has dared to travel further, faster, and higher. In doing so, NASA has improved the sustainability and dependability of aviation. It’s in our blood “NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated in a statement.
“Our hope is that NASA’s collaboration with Boeing to build and test a full-scale demonstrator will lead to future commercial airliners that are more fuel efficient, benefiting the environment, the commercial aviation industry, and passengers worldwide. If we are successful, we may see these technologies in planes used by the general public in the 2030s.”
The first test flight of this experimental aircraft is scheduled for 2028. Nelson stated that the technology’s goal is to serve approximately 50% of the commercial market via short- to medium-haul single-aisle aircraft.
According to NASA, single-aisle aircraft are responsible for nearly half of all aviation emissions worldwide. Developing new fuel-saving technology can help the Biden administration meet its goal of achieving net-zero aviation carbon emissions by 2050, as outlined in the US Aviation Climate Action Plan.
Boeing anticipates a 40,000-plane increase in demand for new single-aisle aircraft between 2035 and 2050.
According to the agency, the design that NASA and Boeing are working on could reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 30% compared to today’s most efficient aircraft.
NASA and Boeing’s new aircraft designs may benefit passengers in the 2030s.
