NASA's new aeronautics strategic vision

[Dr Mordrid]

New aeronautical research priorities -

http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/pdf/armd_strategic_vision_2013.pdf

• Safe, efficient growth in global operations

Enable the Next Generation Air Transportation System in the United States by 2035 and safely expand capacity of the global airspace system to accommodate growth in air traffic. (NOTE: computerized & highly automated "highway's in the sky")

• Innovation in commercial supersonic aircraft

Provide data for a low-boom standard that could lead to permission for supersonic flight over land. (NOTE: NASA has been researching aircraft shapes that virtually eliminate sonic "boom" impulses by spreading them out)

• Ultra-efficient commercial transports

Pioneer technologies for future generations of com*mercial transports that simulta*neously reduce noise, fuel use and emissions.

• Transition to low-carbon propulsion

Enable transition of industry to low-carbon fuels and
alternative propulsion systems. (NOTE: numerous options including hydrogen, methane and various electric power systems)

• Real-time, system-wide safety assurance

Develop tools for use in a prototype of an integrated safety monitoring and assurance system that detects, predicts and prevents safety problems in real time.

• Assured autonomy for aviation transformation

Enable the utilization of higher levels of automation and autonomy across the aviation system. (NOTE: includes the integration of drones into the commercial airspace)

[UtwigMU]

Sounds like more of what we already have.

Where are Mars colonies, Lunar bases better spaceships?

[Dr Mordrid]

NASA has dual responsibilities; aeronautics and space development.

This is aeronautics.

[VJ]

A few years ago, they were also working on the personal plane (they called it "flying car", but in the sense as "easy accessible") and cleaner propulsion methods. The company Synergy even won a Nasa award for their boxwing design. So I'm a bit surprised it is no longer on their aeronautics list...

[Dr Mordrid]

The box wing development is now largely being done by Lockheed Martin. It'll be their entry in a new airliner X-plane competition ~2015, going against Boeing's Blended Wing Body and a Northrop Grumman dual fuselage entry that takes cues from WhiteKnightTwo & StratoLaunch (Scaled Composites is involved in both, and is now a division of N-G.)

LockMart's box wing

[VJ]

Yes, but I'm referring to smaller things, like their Puffin concept: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technolog...es/puffin.html
And the boxtail I referred to: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/earl...e/synergy.html

It seems they shifted attention from the small, personal air vehicles to bigger ones.

[Dr Mordrid]

These are part of the next-generation airliner / transport project, with a targeted date of ~2035.