NASA has released details on a new strategic vision it says is designed to align the work of its Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate to address looming challenges in global air transportation.
"Nearly every aircraft flying and air traffic management system now in use includes NASA-supported technologies that improve efficiency and safety," said NASA administrator Charles Bolden. "This new vision will expand on that by fully integrating into aviation advances in other industries and parts of the economy to meet the future demands for global mobility in ways we can only begin to imagine today,” he added.
The vision is based on three themes: understanding emerging global trends, using those trends to drive research directions and then organizing NASA’s aeronautical research work in response to those drivers.
NASA said it addresses key drivers expected to change the face of aviation during the next 20 to 40 years, including significant growth in planet-wide demand for air mobility, mounting concerns related to climate and energy, and the convergence of technologies ranging from new materials to embedded sensors to ubiquitous networking.
