A commercial and sustainable aircraft, a possible dream? In any case, this is what NASA experts believe. The American space agency has just teamed up with the aviation giant Boeing to develop a very large-scale project.
The contract between NASA and the aircraft manufacturer Boeing should make it possible to build a device that would emit much less carbon, a reduction of 30% compared to today’s aircraft, and which in the same proportions would consume significantly less fuel, therefore less polluting. Advances in sustainable technology are “ crucial to achieving the civil aviation goal of being net zero carbon emissions by 2050 “, recalled the American aircraft manufacturer in its press release of January 18, 2023.
Advantage of this aircraft of the future: innovative wings with a fastening device that results in the combustion of less fuel. Boeing promises a breakthrough in the field of aerodynamics.
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Production around 2030
The agreement between the two American giants covers the construction, testing and flight of a full-scale demonstration aircraft. These are single-aisle aircraft, the most common aircraft in airline fleets, which account for nearly half of global aviation emissions.
If the project succeeds, new generation aircraft could be produced as early as the 2030s, assure the two partners.
In the end, NASA will invest 425 million dollars in this project, while Boeing and its industrial partners will finance up to 725 million.
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