# Presentation: 090116

## NASA’s Flight Research Program

**“****Revolutionary” not just evolutionary**

## Flight Research Program

_**GOAL**__**:**_
**Demonstrate high-payoff aeronautical technologies in the real world flight environment**

**Notes:**
The goal of NASA’s Flight Research Program is to demonstrate high-payoff aeronautical technologies in the real world environment.  Overall, the program matures new and promising aeronautics technologies into practical, ready-for-application technologies for use in future aircraft.

## Projects

_**Environmental Research Aircraft**__**	**__**	**__** and Sensor Technology**_
**Remotely piloted aircraft capable of extreme endurance at high altitudes**
**Atmospheric missions**
**Disaster area remote sensing and information relay**

**Notes:**
The Environmental Research and Sensor Technology program is developing unmanned aerial vehicle technology and the miniaturization of science instruments.  The research will enable aircraft companies to build aircraft that can carry out science missions that would either be impossible or impractical for NASA’s current fleet of science platform aircraft.  These crafts could fly through the plume of a volcano, or very high over the North and South poles.

These remotely piloted aircraft are capable of extreme endurance at high altitudes.  Vehicles are used for atmospheric science missions and as “eyes in the sky” high above disaster areas to provide information important to public safety.

## Projects

_**Revolutionary Concepts in Aeronautics (RevCon)**_
**Accelerate the exploration of high-risk, breakthrough aeronautic technologies**
**Flight experiments include**
**Supersonic and subsonic transports**
**Rotorcraft**
**Advanced military vehicles**
**Innovative uses for air vehicles**

**“****Revolutionary” not just evolutionary**

**Notes:**
The Revolutionary Concepts in Aeronautics (RevCon) program was created to accelerate the exploration of high-risk, breakthrough technologies and enable revolutionary air vehicle design.  

The program accomplishes this by selecting proposals submitted with aeronautical concepts that are “revolutionary” not just evolutionary.  The focus is to develop aeronautics vehicles that address civil, commercial and Department of Defense needs.  

The RevCon studies and research vehicles include: supersonic and subsonic transports, rotorcraft, advanced military aircraft and innovative uses for air vehicles.

## Projects

**Innovative flight controls and operations **
**Affordable design**
**Flight research capabilities **
**Military objectives**

_**Advanced Systems Concepts**_

**Notes:**
The Advanced Systems Concepts project is developing innovative flight controls and operations that will make the design and operation of advanced flight vehicles more efficient.

The project provides technologies that demonstrate aircraft systems that enhance affordable design and flight research capabilities to support military objectives.

## Projects

**High performance aeronautics technology for space vehicles that operate in the atmosphere**
**Key technologies include**
**Energy storage**
**Aerodynamic and propulsive systems**
**Vehicle management systems**
**Health management systems**

_**Atmospheric Flight of Space Systems**_

**Notes:**
The Atmospheric Flight of Space Systems project concentrates on the application of high performance aeronautics technology to space vehicles.

Key technologies include energy storage, aerodynamic and propulsive systems, vehicle management systems and health management systems

## Projects

_**Tools and Testbeds**_
**Unique flight experiments to understand new aeronautics technologies**

**Innovative Transport and Testbed Experiments**
**Flight Research Productivity**

**Notes:**
The Tools and Testbeds project investigates unique flight experiments to understand new aeronautics technologies.

Innovative Transport and Testbed Experiments uses NASA’s fleet of test flight vehicles to perform innovative experiments including engine health monitoring, supersonic technologies, aerodynamics studies and advanced propulsive systems.

The Flight Research Productivity project conducts exploratory flight experiments and develops highly effective tools and test techniques for use in flight research.  Tools include software codes, flight testbeds and control system computers.