Aeronautics Research

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Aeronautics Research

With more than a century of aviation research heritage, NASA’s aeronautical innovators have developed technology through the years that makes air travel safer, faster, and more sustainable. Their contributions are so widespread that every U.S. airplane and air traffic control tower has something from NASA built right in.

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Graphic. It's an image of the seat back on an airplane

NASA Aeronautics Technical Excellence

Presented here are a collection of hand-picked stories that showcase the aviation technology NASA is working on — or has worked on and turned over to others for use in the National Airspace System. This page will be updated with new content at the beginning of each month.

NASA Flight Tests Wildland Fire Tech Ahead of Demo
4 min read

NASA is collaborating with the wildland fire community to provide tools for some of the most challenging aspects of firefighting…

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NASA Tests Air Traffic Surveillance Technology Using Its Pilatus PC-12 Aircraft
3 min read

As air taxis, drones, and other innovative aircraft enter U.S. airspace, systems that communicate an aircraft’s location will be critical…

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NASA Kicks off Testing Campaign for Remotely Piloted Cargo Flights
4 min read

NASA recently began a series of flight tests with partners to answer an important aviation question: What will it take…

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NASA Flight Rerouting Tool Curbs Delays, Emissions
2 min read

It’s the holiday season — which means many are taking to the skies to join their loved ones. If you’ve…

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NASA Moves Drone Package Delivery Industry Closer to Reality
3 min read

Package delivery drones are coming to our doorsteps in the future, and NASA wants to make sure that when medication…

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NASA Flips Efficient Wing Concept for Testing
3 min read

Upside down can be right side up. That’s what NASA researchers determined for tests of an efficient wing concept that…

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NASA and Partners Scaling to New Heights in Air Traffic Management
3 min read

NASA, in partnership with AeroVironment and Aerostar, recently demonstrated a first-of-its-kind air traffic management concept that could pave the way…

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NASA, GE Aerospace Advancing Hybrid-Electric Airliners with HyTEC
3 min read

Hybrid-electric cars have been a staple of the road for many years now. Soon that same idea of a part-electric-,…

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NASA Tunnel Generates Decades of Icy Aircraft Safety Data
5 min read

On Sept. 13, 1944, researchers subjected a Bell P-39L Airacobra to frigid temperatures and a freezing water spray in the…

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NASA Develops Pod to Help Autonomous Aircraft Operators 
2 min read

For self-flying aircraft to take to the skies, they need to learn about their environments to avoid hazards. NASA aeronautics…

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NASA Cloud-Based Platform Could Help Streamline, Improve Air Traffic
4 min read

Just like your smartphone navigation app can instantly analyze information from many sources to suggest the best route to follow,…

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NASA Prepares for Air Taxi Passenger Comfort Studies
2 min read

A new custom virtual reality flight simulator built by NASA researchers will allow them to explore how passengers experience air…

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Other Aeronautics topics

Artist illustration of the X-59 in flight over a surbuban neighborhood.

Research about flying faster than the speed of sound.

Aerospace Cognitive Engineering Lab Rapid Automation Test Environment; (ACEL-RATE) in N262 showing out-the-window views of San Francisco for UAM UTM Ride Quality Simulation project.

Stories about pioneering the frontiers of 21st century flight.

The Moog SureFly aircraft hovers above Cincinnati Municipal Airport during an acoustic hover test.

All about new ways to get from here to there in the air.

In this image, captured using data from a wind-tunnel test, the red and orange areas represent higher drag, and the green and bl

Learn about research to make aviation more sustainable.

Airplane outside it's gate at the airport.

Read about how NASA is opening up the sky for all.

F-15s on Armstrong Ramp

Information about NASA's fleet of aircraft.

Sunset view of the DC-8 parked on the tarmac is getting inspected.

News about using NASA aircraft to better understand our world.