image: NASA
Commercial supersonic flight, alternative fuels and autonomy rank high on NASA’s first 20-year road map of research priorities for aeronautics, released on Monday. The draft plan (PDF) covers 15 fields of research, including space exploration, robotics, nanotechnology and information technology. NASA first issued a research road map in 2012; this is the first update, and the first roadmap to include a section devoted to aeronautics. The document notes “the dynamic nature” of the aeronautics field, and states the material in the road map will be updated regularly. Specific challenges to be addressed include improving the aerodynamics of commercial aircraft, introducing low-carbon fuels, and developing automated system-wide safety monitoring.
The plan also notes that “autonomy, applied to a broad spectrum of activities, promises to be one of the most transformative technologies of the future.” NASA’s main focus regarding autonomous systems will be how to help enable UAS operations in the national airspace system. Research efforts also will focus on the development of autonomous emergency landing systems for conventional aircraft. Each item in the road map includes detailed analyses of the challenges, and NASA’s timelines for reaching specific technical goals. Public comments on the draft plan will be accepted until June 10.
