Aerospace Research Central

2022

By Ketan AjaniNovember 21, 2022

November 21, 2022

2022 Year In Review

Aerospace Design and Structures

Adaptive Structures

Morphing structures reveal path to sustainable, quiet aviation

Design Engineering

Future flight designs, from supersonic to urban air mobility, becoming reality

Machine learning and the “inverse problem” take center stage with design, manufacturing, testing and analysis

Multidisciplinary Design Optimization

Researchers extend the boundaries for integration and application of multidisciplinary design optimization

Non-deterministic Approaches

Hypersonics benefit from computational efficiencies

Spacecraft Structures

Webb telescope’s massive sunshield does its job in space, development begins on the next breakthrough space structures

Structural Dynamics

Advancing a new generation of tiltrotors

Advancements in multiphysics, multiscale and damage modeling and new composite cryotank highlight year’s achievements

U.S. Department of Defense advances survivability for spacecraft, aircraft and personnel

Systems Engineering

Supply chain delays contribute to broader challenges

Aerospace Sciences

Pursuing a quieter future in civil aviation

Aerodynamic Measurement Technology

High-speed imaging methods demonstrate new diagnostic capabilities

Applied Aerodynamics

Progress in the wind tunnel, virtual tunnel, air and digital spaces

Leveraging gravitational complexity for better orbits

Atmospheric and Space Environments

Machine learning, flight experiments highlight progress in aerospace environments

Atmospheric Flight Mechanics

Flying farther and faster on and off Earth

Utilizing fluid mechanics and data sciences to enable high-speed aeropropulsion

Significant enhancements and improvements to test capability

Guidance, Navigation and Control

Fusion of multiple sensors and advanced algorithms facilitate new autonomous operation capabilities

Meshing, Visualization and Computational Environments

New software releases headline year’s achievements

Modeling and Simulation

Simulating future air and space operations to ensure safety

Plasmadynamics and Lasers

Plasma-assisted propulsion and energy: toward carbon-free, high-efficiency processes

Successful flight experiments provide new hypersonic insights

Aircraft Technology, Integration and Operations

Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems

Parachutes from air and space

Air Transportation Systems

Air transportation encounters inflationary headwinds on its recovery from pandemic

Aircraft Design

Year of new designs, retirement of venerated models

Aircraft Operations

Aircraft operators rebound but continue to struggle with delays

Balloon Systems

Balloon missions soar to new heights

Going fast, going high or just going somewhere, flight testers were busy

General Aviation

Post-pandemic comeback and breakthroughs for electric flight

Hypersonic Technologies and Aerospace Planes

Operational expendable hypersonics and the race for reusability

Lighter-Than-Air Systems

LTA Research building second, bigger zeppelin as first prepares for flight

VSTOL Aircraft Systems

Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft dominate powered-lift community focus

Electrified Aircraft Technology

Electrified aircraft ground and flight tests continue progress toward sustainable aviation

Information Systems

Aerospace Cybersecurity

Space and aviation sectors take steps to guard against increased cyberattacks

Communications Systems

Operators make progress on constellation deployment for secure, low-cost global connectivity

Computer Systems

Computing advances allow planetary missions to leap forward

Digital Avionics

Enabling advances in aircraft operations

Human-Machine Teaming

Aerospace community continues to harness potential of human-machine teaming

Intelligent Systems

Year of autonomy in Alaskan glaciers, flight, Earth orbit, cislunar space and Mars

CAPSTONE software bug, Russian hacking Ukraine computer systems and data integrity advances among the year’s highlights

Sensor Systems and Information Fusion

Multisensor systems and information fusion enables new capabilities in multiple domains, from U.S. Space Force to urban air mobility

Propulsion and Energy

Aerospace Power Systems

Strategic year for resumption of lunar missions and beyond

Electric Propulsion

Variety grows and performance improves in space electric propulsion

Energetic Components and Systems

Propellant from Mars, metallic combustion and an exploding foil initiator

Gas Turbine Engines

Gas turbine engines focus on decarbonization of commercial air travel

High-Speed Air-Breathing Propulsion

Ramjet and scramjet propulsion mature, advancing weapon capabilities

Advancements in laser ignition systems, active controls, hybrid biofuels and suborbital sounding rockets

Inlets, Nozzles and Propulsion Systems Integration

New integration and alternative fuel initiatives create greater efficiency, reduce emissions

Liquid Propulsion

Opportunities abound with the world’s most powerful rockets

Nuclear and Future Flight Propulsion

Nuclear propulsion: bringing human presence to Mars

Pressure Gain Combustion

Rotating detonation engines at the forefront of pressure gain combustion

Propellants and Combustion

Ammonia for clean and sustainable propulsion

Major strides in hypersonic booster development and weapons appropriations highlight 2022

Terrestrial Energy Systems

Progress toward hydrogen aviation

Space and Missiles

Life Sciences and Systems

New suit designs and methods to survive in space

Microgravity and Space Processes

Multiple microgravity laboratories help advance fluid dynamics and combustion research

Missile Systems

Race for hypersonics spurs on missile systems

Reusable Launch Vehicles

Rocket manufacturers face challenges in push for reusable launch vehicle development

Small Satellite

Small satellites spread beyond niche roles

Space Architecture

Accelerating architecture for low-Earth orbit and beyond

Space Automation and Robotics

Robotics for in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing is key for sustainable space infrastructure

Space Logistics

Development of on-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing creates new capabilities in spacefaring operations

Space Resources

Experiments to use space resources make great strides

New windows into the universe and new commercial space capabilities

Space tethers focus on deorbit and debris mitigation

Space Transportation

Another record-setting year for spaceflight

Weapon System Effectiveness

Hypersonics, advanced materials and shockwaves

Integration

Aerospace Traffic Management

U.S. prepares for new entrants in the national airspace

CFD Vision 2030

Continued progress toward the CFD Vision 2030 goals

Space Exploration

Space exploration’s giant eye in the sky opens

Bringing civil supersonic flight closer to fruition

Transformational Flight

Transformational flight prepares path to operations

Aerospace Outreach

James Webb Space Telescope and Artemis I launch top year’s accomplishments

Society and Aerospace Technology

A year of seeing the unseen

Demo