High Endurance Aircraft - Propulsion Systems

Contact Info John Del Frate Aerospace Projects 661-276-3704 John.H.DelFrate@nasa.gov

High Endurance aircraft ideally should be able to stay airborne for weeks if not months or years at a time. Limitations to this include the reliability of any moving parts, the weight of the battery or fuel, and the regenerative capabilities of the system. NASA is currently examining novel propulsion systems that would permit an aircraft to fly in the stratosphere for at least 7, but preferably, an indefinite number of days. Technologies that have shown possibilities are rechargeable batteries combined with a solar array and using liquid hydrogen. Limitations to the battery and solar array are efficiency, cost, size, and weight. Limitations to liquid hydrogen are size, weight, and nonrenewability. Improvements in any of these areas may make the system more attractive and feasible.

Related Resources

• Deep Space Mission Ion Engine Passes 8,000-Hour Endurance Test - Jet Propulsion Laboratory News Release
  
• Evolution of a Mars Airplane Concept for the Ares Mars Scout Mission - Langley and Ames Research Centers Technical Report
  
• A Giant Step in Jetliner Propulsion - NASA Scientific and Technical Information Site
  
• Solarcon Solar Concentrator Applied to Electric Propulsion - Marshall Space Flight Center and Naval Research Laboratory Presentation
  
• Helios Project Page - Dryden Flight Research Center Project Site
  
• Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) Site - Dryden Flight Research Center Site

Keywords

Aircraft design; Aircraft performance; Aircraft systems; Autonomous air navigation; Energy management; ERAST; Flight research; Flight systems; Helios; Propulsion; Structural analysis; Unmanned aerial vehicle

Last Modified: November 8, 2004
Responsible NASA Official: Susan Miller
PAO Webmasters

NASA Web Privacy Statement