NASA and Boeing’s Greener Aircraft

Photo Credit: NASA

NASA has collaborated with Boeing to build the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD), a single-aisle aircraft designed to fly commercially in the early 2030s. NASA claims that the SFD will use 30 per cent less carbon fuel than other aircraft. 

In a press conference on Jan. 18, NASA announced its aeronautics partnership with Boeing. This project aims to assist both agencies with their upcoming technology development goals in the aviation sector. Deputy Administrator of NASA, Pamela Melroy, shared at the conference, “Aviation is one of the most difficult industries to decarbonize, and we’re very excited to be working on the hardest problems.”  

According to a statement released by NASA, the wings of the aircraft reduce carbon emissions released from the plane. Long, narrow wings, called the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW), are connected to the aircraft by diagonal struts that stabilize them. Less drag will be produced due to the design of the plane, minimizing fuel burn. The wing design of the SFD is not original, according to Aviation Week. In the 1950s, France's Hurel-Dubois used it for a series of propeller-driven aircrafts. 

Photo Credit: Boeing

Mike Sinnett, vice president and general manager for product development at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, shared with Aviation Week that the span of the TTBW is 50 per cent less than commercial single-aisle aircraft. The design of the wing is expected to reduce 10 per cent of fuel consumption, which could reduce the mass and cost of the plane.

Countries like the US have made goals to reach net-zero aviation carbon emissions by mid-century, and this aircraft will aid in accomplishing that goal. According to a statement from NASA, it is estimated that more than 620 megatons of fuel will be required for air traffic in 2050. This fuel consumption will generate approximately 2,000 megatons of carbon dioxide emissions. In response to this, the U.S. administration released its Aviation Climate Action Plan, which aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  

The VS-1 and VS-2 are potential models of the SFD aircraft Boeing envisions making. The VS-1 can seat 130-160 passengers and the VS-2 can seat 180-210 passengers and has larger wings and engines than the VS-1. 

NASA and Boeing started work on the TTBW in 2008. Seven wind tunnel tests were conducted as part of the Subsonic Ultra-Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) program. Through these tests, both organizations determined the structural design of the SFD.  

NASA is committing $425 million through a funded space act agreement. An estimated $725 million will be contributed by Boeing and its industry partners. According to a statement released by Boeing, they have already spent $110 million on phases of sustainable aircraft research. Despite the $110 million already spent on the TTBW development, Sinnet believes Boeing is "optimistic" about the design based on the scale of industry investment. 

Photo Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center

The first test flight of the SFD will take place in 2028. When asked why this will take place so late, Robert Pearce, Associate Administrator at NASA, commented at the press conference that there is a great deal of planning and budgeting that needs to be done for this project. If all goes well with the test of the SFD in 2028, Boeing expects this plane to be seen more commercially. Boeing's chief technology officer, Todd Citron, estimates that demand for the SFD will increase by 40,000 planes between 2035 and 2050.  

NASA's SFD project manager, Brent Cobleigh, remarked at the press conference that Boeing's industry team would be provided with technical experts and test facilities by NASA. In addition to owning the demonstrator, setting the program schedule, and covering overruns, the Boeing team will be responsible for covering expenses.  

The program will provide more jobs, specifically aimed at laid-off workers at technology companies. The CEO of Boeing, Dave Calhoun, shared with BNN Bloomberg that Boeing will be taking advantage of the laid-off workers of technology companies like Amazon to increase their “ranks of skilled workers.” 

Neither NASA nor Boeing has released the cost of one SFD aircraft, but they state that it will be cheaper than most commercial planes.