Simulations Provide Understanding of Spacecraft Landing Dynamics

The simulations provide insight on the models needed to simulate a full-scale landing event.

Meringue-Like Material Reduces Aircraft Noise

The low-density, graphene-based aerogel could make aircraft as quiet as a hairdryer.

Predicting In-Flight Air Density for More Accurate Landing

An algorithm runs onboard a vehicle, providing important real-time data to aid in steering the craft.

Mars 2020 – Getting to Mars

Perseverance will have the ability to land in more challenging terrain than Curiosity, making more rugged sites eligible as safe landing candidates.

Multiple Sensors Aid in Development of an Electrical Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft

Beta Technologies is putting their Electrical Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft (eVTOL) prototype through the wringer.

Modified Fittings Enhance Industrial Safety

NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is home to one of the largest buildings in the world — the massive Vehicle Assembly Building — and also hosts a number of one-of-a-kind facilities. The...

Flow Disruption Devices for the Reduction of High Lift System Noise

This technique lowers airstream noise generated at the side edges of deployed flaps, elevons, or slats.

A Vision-Based Lunar Navigator for Next-Generation Landers

Learn about the Draper Multi-Environment Navigator.

Aircraft Vertical Takeoff and Landing

NASA’s Langley Research Center developed an inexpensive, long-endurance, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). It is capable of flying for 24 hours, landing in a 50 × 50...

Origami-Inspired Material Softens Impact Forces

Landing is stressful on a rocket’s legs because they must handle the force from the impact with the landing pad. One way to combat this is to build legs out of materials that absorb some of...

Flexible, Spinning Heat Shield for Spacecraft

Heat shields are essentially used as the brakes to stop spacecraft from burning up and crashing on entry and reentry into a planet's atmosphere. Current spacecraft heat shield methods include...

Software Helps Optimize World’s Largest All-Composite Aircraft

Collier Research Corp.
Newport News, VA
HyperSizer.com

When the Stratolaunch aircraft rolled out of the Mojave, CA Air and Space Port hangar this spring in...

Multifunctional Hot Structure (HOST) Heat Shield

Traditional heat shield design isolates the functions of the thermal protection system (TPS) from the underlying load-carrying structure. This is due to the use of brittle TPS material that...

Stop-Rotor Rotary Wing Aircraft

Some unmanned aircraft designs attempt to combine the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and hover capabilities of a helicopter with the increased speed and range capabilities of fixed-wing airplanes....

Heavy Lift Wing in Ground (WIG) Cargo Flying Boat

There are two commonly used options to transport large-volume and heavy cargo across the ocean: container ships and airline transport aircraft. Container ships take about 3 to 4 weeks to...

Multi-Functional Annular Fairing for Coupling Launch Abort Motor to Space Vehicle

NASA's Langley Research Center has designed a Multifunctional Boost Protective Cover (MBPC) for a Launch Abort System (LAS). In the event of a crewed launch,...

Exo-Brake Enables Safe Return for Small Spacecraft

Transformable and Reconfigurable Entry, Descent, and Landing Systems and Methods

NASA has developed a game-changing deployable aeroshell concept for entry, descent, and landing (EDL) of large science and exploration-class payloads. The...

Lightning Protection and Detection System

NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed a sensor technology for structural health monitoring on composite aircraft surfaces. When conventional aircraft are struck by lightning, the result can...

Energy-Absorbing Beam Member

NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed a novel design for a lightweight energy absorbing (EA) composite subfloor structure. The technology’s primary application is to increase occupant survivability in...

Optimum Strategies for Selecting Descent Flight-Path Angles

Efficient and safe arrival operations under challenging traffic conditions are a key objective for air transportation modernization efforts taking place throughout the world....

Unmanned Research Aircraft Test Cutting-Edge Innovations

Born out of a desire for aircraft to be able to take off and land capably at airports with shorter runways to alleviate congestion at the major hubs, the circulation control wing...