NASA Overview/Update

E&E REDAC Meeting

August 1, 2017
Brief Outline

• Summary/Refresher – NASA Strategic Planning

• FY2018 Budget Guidance

• New Aviation Horizons

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Global Growth in Aviation:

Opportunities and Challenges

Global Air Passengers by Region (% of Total)

Over 36,000 New 

Aircraft required 

(replacement and 

growth) over the 

20 year period

($4-$5T value)

2034

Global Aviation 

Industry, est.

7B Passenger Trips

Asia-Pacific Passenger

Trips equal to

North America and 

Europe combined

105M Jobs

$6T GDP

2014

Global Aviation 

Industry

3.3B Passenger Trips

North America and Europe 

combined is half of all 

Passenger Trips

58M Jobs

$2.4T GDP

Sources: International Air Transport Association, Air Transport Action Group, Boeing

Major Opportunities / Growing Challenges

Competitiveness—New state backed entrants, e.g., COMAC (China); Growing global R&D

Environment—Very ambitious industry sustainability goals; Large technology advances needed

Mobility—More speed to connect the worlds’ major cities; Opportunity for commercial supersonic flight

U.S. Technological Leadership Required!

3
NASA Aeronautics 

Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP)

Three Mega-Drivers Six Strategic Research & Technology Thrusts

Safe, Efficient Growth in Global Operations

• Enable full NextGen and develop technologies to substantially

reduce aircraft safety risks

Innovation in Commercial Supersonic Aircraft

• Achieve a low-boom standard

Ultra-Efficient Commercial Vehicles • Pioneer technologies for big leaps in efficiency and 

environmental performance

Real-Time System-Wide Safety Assurance • Develop an integrated prototype of a real-time safety 

monitoring and assurance system

Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation

• Develop high impact aviation autonomy applications

Transition to Alternative Propulsion and Energy* • Characterize drop-in alternative fuels and pioneer 

low-carbon propulsion technology

* Changed in official March 2017 release. 4
Airspace Operations 

and Safety Program

Advanced Air 

Vehicles Program

Integrated Aviation 

Systems Program

Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program

AOSP AAVP IASP

TACP

Safe, 

Efficient 

Growth in 

Global 

Operations

Real-Time System-Wide 

Safety Assurance

UltraEfficient 

Commercial

Vehicles

Innovation in Commercial 

Supersonic Aircraft

Transition to Alternative 

Propulsion & Energy

Flight 

researchoriented, 

integrated, 

systemlevel R&T that supports all 

six thrusts

X-planes/test environment

High-risk, leap-frog ideas that 

support all six thrusts

Critical cross-cutting tool 

development

Assured Autonomy for 

Aviation Transformation

MISSION PROGRAMS

SEEDLING PROGRAM

Research Programs align with Strategic Thrusts

Airspace Operations 

& Safety Advanced Air Vehicles

Integrated Aviation 

Systems

Transformative Aeronautical Concepts

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FY 2018 President’s Budget Request

$ Millions

Enacted

FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022

Aeronautics $633.8 $660.0 $624.0 $624.4 $624.4 $624.4 $624.4 

Airspace Operations and Safety 147.1 108.7 107.7 107.1 107.8 109.7 

Advanced Air Vehicles 254.9 232.7 223.8 233.2 236.7 241.8 

Integrated Aviation Systems 128.3 173.5 178.5 167.8 139.2 132.9 

Transformative Aeronautics Concepts 103.5 109.2 114.5 116.3 140.7 139.9 

• Integrated Aviation Systems Program funds the design and build of the Low Boom Flight 

Demonstrator as part of the New Aviation Horizons Initiative

• Continues to robustly fund UAS related investments

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FY 2018 President’s Budget Request

FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Hybrid Electric Propulsion Demonstrator

Design & Build Flight Test

Small Scale “Build, Fly, Learn”

Design & Build Flight Test

DP

Design & 

Build

Preliminary

Design

Ground Test

Risk Reduction

DP

Design & Build Flight Test Preliminary

Design

Ground Test

Risk Reduction

DP

Validated HEP concepts, 

technologies & integration for 

U.S. industry to lead the clean 

propulsion revolution

Validated ability for U.S. Industry 

to build transformative aircraft 

that use 50% less energy & 

contain noise within the airport 

boundary

Enables Low Boom Regulatory 

Standard and validated ability for 

industry to produce and operate 

commercial low noise supersonic 

aircraft

New Aviation Horizons Flight Demo Plan

Low Boom Flight Demonstrator

Subsonic Demonstrator 2

Subsonic Demonstrator 1

Notional 7
Vision for Commercial Supersonic Flight

• The emerging potential commercial supersonic transport market has 

generated renewed interest in civil supersonic aircraft

– Evidence of this growing interest is shown through start-ups’ willingness to 

enter the market given restrictions in overland flight and other challenges

• Current restrictions dramatically limit market potential for supersonic 

commercial aircraft

• The vision of the Supersonics Community is a future where fast air 

travel is available for a broad spectrum of the traveling public.

– Future supersonic aircraft will not only be able to fly overland without 

creating an “unacceptable situation” but compared to Concorde and SST 

will be more efficient and affordable

Overland flight restrictions based on noise 

are viewed as the main barrier to this vision

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Low Boom Flight Demonstrator Tests

Three Required Elements

1. Validated hardware for overflight testing (supersonic acoustic 

signature generator)

– Design & build a Low Boom Demonstrator of sufficient size that the acoustic 

data are representative of a commercial supersonic transport aircraft

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2. Development of test methodology

that allows data to be gathered that 

accurately represents the community 

response to supersonic overland flight

3. Community response data that is 

fully representative of a 

demographically diverse, non-biased 

population
NASA’s Low-Boom Supersonic Technology 

Ready For Flight

Studies show the potential for 

acceptable low boom noise.

New advances in modeling tools 

allows design of new 

low-boom configurations.

Extensive wind tunnel tests 

indicate that these new designs 

show the low-boom characteristics 

as predicted.

Ground Pressure

Comparison

Low-Boom Flight Simulation 

using F-18 Dive Maneuver

Sonic Boom Acceptability Studies using 

Ground Simulators and in the Field 

FIELD & LAB STUDIES MODELING TOOLS GROUND TESTING

Ground 

Pressure

Comparison

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11

NAH Demonstration and NASA Research Plans

Alignment Supports Development of En Route Noise Standard

FY	16 FY	17 FY	18 FY	19 FY	20 FY 21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25

Commercial Supersonic	(CST)		

Research

• Design	Tools	for	Future	

Aircraft

• Supersonic	Flight	Systems

• Low	Boom	X-Aircraft	

Preliminary	Design

NAH	Low	Boom Flight	

Demonstrator

• Detailed	Design

• Fabrication,	Integration	&	

System	Test

• Flight	Envelope	Clearance	&	

Acoustic	Validation

Community	Overflight	Prep	

&	Tests

• Sonic	Boom	Modeling

• Community	Response	

Procedure	Validation;	Initial	

Response	Test

• Community	Overflight	

Testing	(research	&	

operations)

Sonic	Boom	Noise	Standard

Final	design

CDR

1st	Flight

Contract	Award

PDR

Assmb.	Int &	Test

Reports	to	ICAO

Metric	&	Models,	Community	Test	Risk	Red.

Test	

approval

Survey	tools	&	

methods	defined

RFP	release

LBFD	Cont.

Community	response	test	prep Initial	community	response	

test	complete

Low	boom	acoustic	

validation	complete

Low	sonic	boom	design	

tool	TC	complete

PDR, Preliminary Design Review

CDR, Critical Design Review

Supersonic	flight	data	tools	&	acoustic	validation	prep

Signature	analysis	tools	&	uncertainty	quantification

Acoustic	val.	

tools	ready

Risk	reduction	test

Finalize		methods,	

plans	&	locations

CAEP	11	Metric	

validation

CAEP	12	Prelim	std:	

metric	&	procedures

CAEP	13	Prelim	

Standard:	Initial	limit

Acoustic	val.	

prep	complete

Community	Tests

Design	tools	

validated	with	

flight	data	
Low Noise Propulsion for Low Boom Aircraft

www.nasa.gov 12

Design tools and innovative concepts for integrated supersonic propulsion systems 

with noise levels of 10 EPNdB less than FAR 36 Stage 4 demonstrated in ground test. 

Deliverables: 1) Validated noise prediction and system modeling tools for design of N+2 supersonic airliner

2) Integrated aircraft solutions meeting airport noise requirements with viable range and low 

boom

3) Validation of acoustic performance and predicted design trades.

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Tool and model

development

Initial nozzle designs 

assessed 

computationally

Initial nozzle tests 

complete

Test results for isolated 

nozzle met expectations 

First empirical models 

for three-stream and IVP 

nozzle systems

Aft-deck noise database 

acquired

New models used in 

optimization studies

Final candidate nozzles 

identified

Isolated nozzles, system 

models validated. 

Integrated acoustic test 

articles created and 

tested. 

System predictions, 

acoustic goal validated.

Inlet and fan effects 

assessment

Alternative propulsion 

installation benefits 

assessed

New candidate 

technologies for 

additional noise reduction

Internal government use only

Integration of noise prediction, innovative nozzles, and system modeling to achieve aggressive goals.
Ultra-efficient Subsonic Demonstrators Break Barriers

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Increasingly electric aircraft 

propulsion with minimal change to 

aircraft outer mold lines

Gain experience through 

integration and demonstration on 

progressively larger platforms

Environmental Benefit

+

2040

2030

2020

Knowledge through Integration & Demonstration +

Electrically-Enhanced Propulsion

Advanced configuration with 

fully integrated hybrid electric 

propulsion and airframe

Energy usage 

reduced by more 

than

60%

Harmful 

emissions reduced 

by more than

90%

Objectionable 

noise reduced 

by more than

65%

Turbo-Electric Propulsion technology (no 

battery storage) integrated with Boundary Layer 

Ingestion technology is a rapidly developing 

opportunity with significant industry interest.

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Objective 

Establish viable concept for 5-10 MW hybrid gas-electric propulsion system 

for a commercial transport aircraft (TRL 2) 

Technical Areas and Approaches

Propulsion System Conceptual Design

− Early selection of system concepts that allow drill-down in issues of 

system interaction concept refinement

Integrated Subsystems

− Develop flight control and mission operations methodology for distributed 

propulsion

− Explore component interactions, power management, and fault 

management

High Efficiency/Power Density Electric Machines

− Explore conventional and non-conventional topologies

− Integrate novel thermal management

− Demonstrate component maturation

Flight-weight Power System and Electronics

− Develop/demonstrate powertrain systems and components

− High voltage, MW power electronics, transmission, protection 

Enabling Materials

− Insulators and conductors for high power and altitude components

− Nanocomposite magnetic materials for targeted machines and drives

Benefit/Payoff

− Enable paradigm shift from gas-turbine to electrified propulsion

− Reduce fuel & energy consumption, emissions, and noise

Exploring Tube-and-Wing Architectures 

Gas-Electric Propulsion Concept

Powertrain, Controls & Flight 

Simulation Testbeds and 

Advanced CFD

Superconducting 

and Ambient Motor 

Designs

Advanced Materials & 

Novel Designs for 

Flightweight Power

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Summary – A New Era for NASA Aeronautics

Investing In Our Future - Investments in NASA’s cutting edge 

aeronautics research today are investments in a cleaner, safer, 

quieter and faster tomorrow for American aviation:

• NASA is entering the Administration transition with a strong 

portfolio with good stakeholder support.

• No decisions have been made regarding the New Aviation 

Horizons (X-Plane) Initiative – support expressed for low boom 

demonstrator. 

• The X-57 distributed propulsion electric aircraft making progress.

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