After the completion of the National Research Council (NRC) report, Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Aeronautics: Scenario-Based Strategic Planning for NASA's Aeronautics Enterprise (1997), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology requested that the NRC remain involved in its strategic planning process by conducting a study to identify a short list of revolutionary or breakthrough technologies that could be critical to the 20 to 25 year future of aeronautics and space transportation. These technologies were to address the areas of need and opportunity identified in the above mentioned NRC report, which have been characterized by NASA's 10 goals (see Box ES-1) in "Aeronautics & Space Transportation Technology: Three Pillars for Success" (NASA, 1997). The present study would also examine the 10 goals to determine if they are likely to be achievable, either through evolutionary steps in technology or through the identification and application of breakthrough ideas, concepts, and technologies.
- Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Aeronautics
- Copyright
- Preface
- IMAGINE THE DAY
- BREAKTHROUGHS ARE REQUIRED
- INTEGRATION VERSUS BREAKTHROUGHS
- Acknowledgments
- Contents
- Executive Summary
- CANDIDATE BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGIES
- Air Vehicle Technology
- Advanced Air Vehicle Configurations
- Embedded Sensing and Control
- Structures and Materials
- Advanced Propulsion and Power
- Manufacturing
- Computer-Based Design, Modeling, and Simulation
- Air Transportation Systems Technology
- Models to Predict the Impact of New Technologies and Procedures on the Air Transportation System
- Upwardly Compatible Aerospace Information Systems
- Methodologies for the Development of High Integrity Software
- Advanced Human-Automation Systems
- Precision Air Traffic Management/Aircraft Operations
- Mitigating Constraints in Terminal Areas
- Space Transportation Technology
- Advanced Air Breathing Engines
- Pulse Detonation Wave Engine
- High Thrust to Weight Rocket Engines
- Variable Expansion Ratio Nozzles
- Advanced Propellants and Storage Methods
- Integrated Aero-Thermal Structures
- Novel Launch System Concepts
- Additional Goals for Space Transportation
- BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGIES TO MEET NASA'S GOALS
- Cyber Technology
- Structures and Materials
- Propulsion Technology
- Aerospace Vehicle Configurations and Integration Concepts
- Precision Terminal Area Aircraft Operations
- ACHIEVING THE 10 AND 20 YEAR GOALS
- Meeting the 10 Year Milestones
- Meeting the 20 Year Milestones
- 1 Introduction
- EVOLUTION OF THE 10 AERONAUTICS AND SPACE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY GOALS
- The National Science and Technology Council's Aeronautics Goals
- NASA's Strategic Planning in Response to the NSTC Goals
- Scenario-Based Strategic Planning Workshop
- Parallel NASA Activities Leading to the 10 Goals
- THIS STUDY
- Statement of Task
- Study Approach
- Workshop on Breakthrough Aerospace Technologies
- REFERENCES
- 2 Achieving NASA's Goals with Breakthrough Technologies
- FUTURE AEROSPACE NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES AND NASA'S ENABLING TECHNOLOGY GOALS
- Enhanced Air Vehicle Safety and Survivability
- Environmental Compatibility
- General Aviation
- High-Speed Air Travel
- Air Traffic Management and Related Air Transportation System Technology
- Enhanced Computer-Based Design and Manufacturing
- Space Transportation Technology
- DEFINING "BREAKTHROUGH" TECHNOLOGY
- ACHIEVING THE 10 AND 20 YEAR GOALS
- Meeting the 10 Year Milestones
- Reducing the Risk of Technology Adoption
- Accelerating the Adoption of Commercially Viable Technology
- Meeting the 20 Year Milestones
- REFERENCES
- 3 Air Vehicle Technology
- TOWARDS NEW AIR VEHICLES
- TECHNOLOGY THRUST AREAS
- Advanced Air Vehicle Configurations
- Advanced Configurations
- Drag Reduction Technologies
- Aerodynamic/Propulsive Integration
- Embedded Sensors and Controls
- Aircraft with Controlled ''Adaptive" Structures
- Intelligent Gas Turbine Engines: Moving from Proof of Concept to Deployment
- Structures and Materials
- Advanced Composites
- Advanced Metal Alloys
- Advanced Propulsion and Power
- Alternative Fuels
- Novel Engine Components
- Novel Power/Propulsion Devices
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Automated Manufacturing Processes
- Lean Manufacturing
- Computer-Based Design, Modeling, and Simulation
- Optimizing the Design Process
- Creating Nonlinear, Multidisciplinary Aircraft Design Models
- Improving Models for Propulsion System Design
- Optimizing Human/Computer Integration During the Design Process
- REFERENCES
- 4 Air Transportation System Technology
- PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE AIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
- MODELS TO PREDICT THE IMPACT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND PROCEDURES
- Documentation of the Current System
- Evaluation of Current Assumptions
- Tolerable Risk Levels for Component Technologies
- Development of Fundamental and Integrated Models
- UPWARDLY COMPATIBLE AEROSPACE INFORMATION SYSTEMS
- Current Upgrade Limitations and Difficulties
- Designing for Evolutionary Upgrades in Information Technology
- Modular Design
- Software Architectures
- METHODOLOGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH INTEGRITY SOFTWARE
- Developing, Ensuring, and Maintaining High Integrity Software
- Software Certification
- ADVANCED HUMAN-AUTOMATION SYSTEMS
- Improving Human-Computer Interaction/Integration
- Improving Pilot Situation Awareness
- Unpiloted Commercial Transports, an Extreme Solution to Pilot Task Allocation
- PRECISION AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT/AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS
- Air-to-Ground Datalinks for Precise Controller-to-Pilot Communications
- Improved Weather Detection Sensors
- Precision Navigation and Surveillance
- Fully Autonomous Air Traffic Operations
- MITIGATING CONSTRAINTS IN TERMINAL AREAS
- Reduced Runway Occupancy Time
- Reduction in Aircraft Velocity on Roll out
- Wide Runways/Formation Landings
- Mitigation of Wake Vortices
- Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing Aircraft to Enhance Capacity
- Personal Air Travel
- REFERENCES
- 5 Space Transportation Technology
- INTRODUCTION
- POTENTIAL ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES
- Advanced Air-Breathing Engines
- Pulse Detonation Wave Engine
- High Thrust-to-Weight Rocket Engines
- Variable Expansion-Ratio Nozzles
- Advanced Propellants and Storage Methods
- Recombination of Highly Energetic Atomic Ingredients
- Hydrogen Storage at High Effective Densities
- Metallic Hydrogen
- Integrated Aerothermal Structures
- Novel Launch System Concepts
- Novel Launch Vehicle Configurations
- Automated Launch Operations
- REFERENCES
- 6 Breakthrough Technologies to Meet NASA's Goals
- IDENTIFYING BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY CATEGORIES
- CYBER TECHNOLOGY
- Modeling and Simulation
- Advanced, Robust, Real-Time Sensors and Actuators
- Automated Manufacturing
- Improved Methods for Developing Flight-Critical Software
- Human-Computer Integration
- STRUCTURES AND MATERIALS
- Lightweight Structures for Reusable Launch Vehicles
- High-Temperature Materials
- PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY
- Advanced Air Vehicle Propulsion Concepts
- Novel Components and Active Control for Gas Turbine Engines
- Alternative Propulsion Systems
- Advanced Propellants for Launch Vehicles
- AEROSPACE VEHICLE CONFIGURATIONS
- PRECISION AIR TRAFFIC OPERATIONS IN TERMINAL AREAS
- Reduced Runway Occupancy Time
- Mitigating Wake Vortices
- Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing Aircraft to Enhance Capacity
- REFERENCE
- Acronyms and Abbreviations
- APPENDICES
- APPENDIX A Statement of Task
- APPENDIX B Biographical Sketches of Committee Members
- APPENDIX C Sources of Input to the Committee
- PRESENTATIONS
- Committee Meeting 1 (September 15-16, 1997), Washington, D.C.
- Space Transportation Technology Working Group Meeting (October 8,1997), Washington, D.C.
- NASA Langley Research Center Meeting (November 3-4, 1997), Hampton, Virginia
- Committee Meeting 2 (November 18–19, 1997), Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, ...
- SRI/NASA Ames Research Center Meeting (January 19–21, 1998), SanJose, California
- Ohio Aerospace Institute Meeting (February 9–11, 1998), Cleveland, Ohio
- DOCUMENTS AND PUBLICATIONS
- APPENDIX D Complete List of Technologies Assessed
- AIR VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- Propulsion Technologies
- Aerodynamics
- Air Vehicle Configurations
- Control Systems and Sensors
- Structures, Materials, and MEMS
- Design and Manufacturing
- AIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY
- Flight Deck and Human/Automation Systems
- Communications, Navigation, Surveillance, and Air Traffic Management
- Terminal Area Technologies
- Software and Process Technologies
- SPACE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY
- Propulsion Technologies
- Launch Vehicle Configurations and Components
- Launch Assist Technology
- Ground Infrastructure
- Mitigation of Environmental Impact
- APPENDIX E Workshop on Breakthrough Aerospace Technologies
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