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Imagining the Future of Aerospace Technology

Dr. Rickey Shyne, director of research and engineering at NASA Glenn, envisions a future where breakthrough materials, more efficient batteries, and innovative energy storage systems will revolutionize technologies for space exploration and aviation. Watch this video to learn more about the future of aerospace technology.

Topics:
Aeronautics Aerospace Aviation

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    Transcript

    00:00:01 [ music ] >> Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, I often wondered why and how things happened. I remember watching television on Saturday mornings and seeing "The Jetsons." Yes, I'm showing my age by talking about this television program.

    00:00:42 Back then, it seemed impossible to see a flying automobile. It was unbelievable to see that. Since it was just a television cartoon, it didn't seem that can become a reality. 50 years later, it's now real.

    00:01:00 And many more vehicles like this are currently being developed. During the summer, I would be outside playing with my siblings and friends on a bright sunny day, and I would hear thunder, and I would wonder why it was happening

    00:01:12 since I didn't see any rain or lightning. It wasn't till I was in college that I realized what I was hearing. They were sonic booms from supersonic aircraft being scrambled out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Those sonic booms were

    00:01:27 created by those aircraft breaking the sound barrier by flying faster than 700 miles per hour. [ sonic boom ] This is a picture of an F-22 aircraft breaking the sound barrier. You can see the mach cones created by going faster

    00:01:48 than the speed of sound. Today, NASA's on the cusp of flying a new experimental aircraft called the X-59 low-boom flight demonstrator that will significantly reduce or potentially eliminate sonic booms. Some of you may know

    00:02:04 that I'm a big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They have an animated series called "What If...?" where they let their imagination know no bounds. So this evening I pose the following question What if? What if I did the same

    00:02:21 with aerospace technology and allowed my imagination to ponder things that seem unachievable or unimaginable? I know it can be a little dangerous when my imagination runs away with things. NASA Glenn Research Center

    00:02:35 has demonstrated that our imaginations can become reality as things we thought we couldn't achieve, we made happen. At this event several years ago, a colleague showed a material that can change shapes

    00:02:50 and then return to its original form. Many people thought shape memory alloys were physically impossible, but Glenn made it possible. Now this revolutionary material is being utilized in numerous aeronautics and space applications.

    00:03:08 Later, one of my colleagues will continue to discuss Glenn's innovative materials research. What if we continue on the path of developing revolutionary technology that changes the way we look at the world, the way we operate

    00:03:24 in the world, the way we benefit the world through innovative breakthroughs in research and scientific discovery? This is a AA battery. What if this AA battery contained enough power to power our homes during an electrical outage,

    00:03:45 enough power to fly an electric aircraft, or enough power to sustain a lunar base which is going through a lunar cycle of 14 days of sunlight, 14 days of night? I know that sounds far fetched, but I challenge you

    00:04:02 to think about what has happened since the 1950s when computers were first developed. The first computer developed looked like this picture and could perform only 5,000 computational operations per second. As the uses of computers grew

    00:04:18 and technology continued to evolve, a key component to the evolution of computers and computing power was the integrated circuit or computer chip. Integrated circuits are the brains and foundations of computing

    00:04:32 and computer systems. Dr. Gordon Moore, a scientist and a co-founder of Intel, postulated a theory that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit would double every two years with minimal rise-- [ clears throat ]

    00:04:48 With minimal rise in cost. This theory, called Moore's Law, was the observation the number of transistors would increase significantly over that two year period. The number of transistors contained on an integrated circuit have increased.

    00:05:06 And so integrated circuits have become more powerful but smaller, as Dr. Moore projected. So this smartphone, even though it's significantly smaller, can perform 5 trillion computer operations per second,

    00:05:23 infinitely more computer power than that first computer that filled up multiple rooms and could perform only 5,000 computational operations per second. What if Glenn focused this research on developing breakthrough materials

    00:05:39 that can lead to advanced batteries and fuel cells? Breakthrough materials are critical in the development of revolutionary power and energy storage systems. By doubling or quadrupling the energy densities of advanced batteries

    00:05:56 and fuel cells from using leading edge materials, we can approach a similar path of the integrated circuit. The energy density is defined as the amount of energy contained in the unit volume of something the size of a battery. A double AA battery

    00:06:14 contains 1.5 watts and 2,500 milliamps-- ampere hours. This means it can provide up to 1.5 watts of power for up to 2 hours before it needs to be replaced. If we can double or quadruple the amount of energy output yearly

    00:06:35 from the same volume contained in that battery, then we can approach something akin to what Dr. Moore projected for the integrated circuit. We don't have a name for this new theory, but I suggest we call it Shyne's Law.

    00:06:49 [ laughter and applause ] I'm just saying. It has a nice ring to it. Shyne's Law. Breakthroughs of this magnitude can lead to transformative missions for aeronautics and space applications. Additionally, it could have significant impact

    00:07:05 on terrestrial power systems and energy storage and help solve global power shortages. So as I think about the potential of this AA battery to power my entire home, it doesn't seem so far fetched when you think about the other breakthroughs

    00:07:20 that Glenn has achieved through a long term focus on revolutionary technology development. The only thing that stops us are the limits of our imaginations and our commitment to sustaining and growing Glenn's

    00:07:36 fundamental research required to make Shyne's Law a reality. So tonight and every day moving forward, I will ask the question, what if? Are we going to step up to this moment and change the future of technology

    00:07:52 for the greater good? Or are we going to let this moment pass us by? A philosopher once said, Look, if you have one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you've ever wanted, one moment, would you capture it

    00:08:07 or let it slip? That's a quote from Eminem and his song "Lose Yourself" from the "8 Mile" movie soundtrack. I submit that moment is now. Will we seize this opportunity or will we let it slip? If we accept this challenge, this will move Glenn forward

    00:08:28 in this mission of developing revolutionary technology anchored by a campus with new and revitalized facilities and infrastructure and leveraged by a new generation of engineers and scientists. Our future is waiting,

    00:08:46 and it is bright. Thank you for listening, and good evening. [ applause ]