Examples of aircraft large and small provide air travel services in this notional glimpse of a possible future in which the sky is accessible for all. Exactly what this “Sky for All” might look like by mid-century and how we might get there is something NASA is looking for help to define. Credits: NASA Illustration
We’ve long held dreams of what the future of air travel could look like.
Something out of the Jetson’s TV show or a Star Wars movie is generally the
“go to” vision for most people: aircraft of all types and sizes – including
those without pilots onboard – safely flying anywhere at all altitudes anytime
for many different reasons.
But there’s more to it
than that. It’s a future that could include a distributed digital backbone to
seamlessly integrate innovation and tradition in aeronautics, expanding the
idea of what commercial air travel looks like while enabling it to grow safely
and sustainably.
Now, thanks to technology developed by NASA Aeronautics and its research partners during the past decade or so, more of
those dreams than ever before are nearly ready to be turned into reality.
So, the big question is: what’s next?
The use of innovative
new aircraft in fighting wildfires is one of many possible visions for a
mid-century future in which aircraft of all sizes and types provide air travel
services of all types. Through “Sky for All,” NASA is seeking input from
interested stakeholders to help more clearly define what this future will look
like. Credits: NASA Illustration
While personal flying cars might sound
like the next best thing since sliced bread, it may not be a product that
industry is ready to offer for any number of reasons – but maybe it is? Perhaps wildfire management or emergency
medical transport aircraft could come first? Or
smaller package delivery drones? There are all kinds of
possibilities.
But even more importantly, what additional research
and development will be required to fully realize those selected dreams? How
soon do we need to begin that work and what technology still needs to be
perfected?
To answer those questions, NASA is looking for expert
counsel from anyone and everyone with a stake in what the future of air travel
should look like by mid-century. Their input will help define that future
vision – a vision we are calling “Sky for All.”
“‘Sky for All’ is all about that articulation of where
we want to be during the mid-21st century
and what we need to do to get there,” said Shawn Engelland, NASA’s lead for
“Sky for All.”
“Sky for All” will include some specific examples of
what the future will look like, but it’s not meant to provide a concept of operations
for some large-scale air transportation system. Nor is “Sky for All” the name
of a specific research program or project.
The idea is that information compiled for “Sky for
All” will be able to guide decisions on where NASA should invest its research
resources during the coming years.
This information also will help the Federal Aviation
Administration make its research investment decisions as it pursues a similar
effort known as “Charting Aviation's Future: Operations in an Info-Centric
National Airspace System (NAS).”
While the FAA’s effort is focused on a sooner 2035
timeframe, “Sky for All” seeks to describe what air travel will look like
beyond 2035 in the mid-21st century.
“It’s important that we collaborate on this vision
we’re developing for the mid-century NAS and understand how the NAS needs to
transform in order to enable operations that are flexible, sustainable, secure,
and connected,” said Kurt Swieringa, NASA’s deputy manager for technology of
the Air Traffic Management – eXploration project.
NASA illustration of an advanced subsonic aircraft with an Electrified Aircraft Propulsion system. Credits: NASA
The centerpiece of this collaboration with industry, academia, and other
government agencies is a publicly accessible website in which the “Sky for
All” vision is explained in much more detail, and input is invited on nearly
every page.
In fact, since the website went live late last year to an initial round of
invited stakeholders, the aviation community has continued to provide inputs
that result in changes to the ever-evolving vision.
“This input is very important to us. We realized from the outset that
listening to our stakeholders was going to be the best way for us to get to
where we want to go with this vision,” Engelland said.
Two upcoming online gatherings will provide more information about “Sky for
All” to anyone who is interested – especially those who might want to offer
input and contribute to the future vision for aviation that will guide NASA’s
research during the next three decades or so.
The first is imaginAviation, a free three-day virtual event that will be
held March 1-3, 2022. Many of NASA’s aeronautical innovators will present
updates on the programs and projects they are working on. “Sky for All” will be
featured as well. For more information and to register, click here.
The second is a free webinar dedicated to the “Sky for All” vision. The
online event will be held March 28, 2022. For more information about the
webinar and to register, click here.
Jim Banke
Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/aeroresearch/nasa-invites-collaboration-to-define-future-of-air-travel
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