Future Flight

NASA recently announced that their six-year project, researching green energy for airlines, has been a success. Though this would involve the implementation of new technology and the retrofitting of any existing plans, this advance can save the airline industry nearly $300 billion over 25 years of operation. What technology could NASA be looking to bring to our everyday planes?

The changes NASA suggests are not only futuristic but ingenious. By redesigning our existing aircraft to weigh less and cause less drag, you eliminate the cost of fuel incurred during flight. But what if you could also reduce the cost of fuel for this already comparatively inexpensive venture? NASA’s goal with this two-pronged approach is how they can project such a drastic savings. Cheaper fuel and less consumption mean less dollars lost mid-flight, end of story.

Michael ZaporzanFrom developing a new type of metal that retains the strength of its predecessors but can be stitched together and is 20% the weight, NASA’s science-fiction advances are ripped straight from the pages of Golden Age Science Fiction. Whether a wing design that seamlessly folds in to lessen drag during flight or above-mounted engines for a streamlined body, NASA’s proposed changes would alter the face of air travel, forever.

The price tag for a project this large is not pennies, though. Asking for an investment of $400 million, NASA is hoping that the American aviation industry can recognize when a little bit of investment can save them billions down the road. With plans to attend the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Conference to further explain their project and its goals, the brilliant minds at NASA are confident that their genius can meet a terrestrial need, and save us all money.