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Share LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email Aerospace Design and Structures Structures Advancements in multiphysics, multiscale and damage modeling and new composite cryotank highlight year’s achievements Structural Dynamics Advancing a new generation of tiltrotors Design Engineering Future flight designs, from supersonic to urban air mobility, becoming reality Non-deterministic Approaches Hypersonics benefit from computational efficiencies Materials Machine learning and the “inverse problem” take center stage with design, manufacturing, testing and analysis Adaptive Structures Morphing structures reveal path to sustainable, quiet aviation Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Researchers extend the boundaries for integration and application of multidisciplinary design optimization Systems Engineering Supply chain delays contribute to broader challenges Survivability U.S. Department of Defense advances survivability for spacecraft, aircraft and personnel Spacecraft Structures Webb telescope’s massive sunshield does its job in space, development begins on the next breakthrough space structures Aerospace Sciences Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Flying farther and faster on and off Earth Guidance, Navigation and Control Fusion of multiple sensors and advanced algorithms facilitate new autonomous operation capabilities Aerodynamic Measurement Technology High-speed imaging methods demonstrate new diagnostic capabilities Astrodynamics Leveraging gravitational complexity for better orbits Atmospheric and Space Environments Machine learning, flight experiments highlight progress in aerospace environments Meshing, Visualization and Computational Environments New software releases headline year’s achievements Plasmadynamics and Lasers Plasma-assisted propulsion and energy: toward carbon-free, high-efficiency processes Applied Aerodynamics Progress in the wind tunnel, virtual tunnel, air and digital spaces Aeroacoustics Pursuing a quieter future in civil aviation Ground Testing Significant enhancements and improvements to test capability Modeling and Simulation Simulating future air and space operations to ensure safety Thermophysics Successful flight experiments provide new hypersonic insights Fluid Dynamics Utilizing fluid mechanics and data sciences to enable high-speed aeropropulsion Aircraft Technology, Integration and Operations Air Transportation Systems Air transportation encounters inflationary headwinds on its recovery from pandemic Aircraft Operations Aircraft operators rebound but continue to struggle with delays Balloon Systems Balloon missions soar to new heights 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 Flight Testing Going fast, going high or just going somewhere, flight testers were busy Lighter-Than-Air Systems LTA Research building second, bigger zeppelin as first prepares for flight Hypersonic Technologies and Aerospace Planes Operational expendable hypersonics and the race for reusability Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Parachutes from air and space General Aviation Post-pandemic comeback and breakthroughs for electric flight Aircraft Design Year of new designs, retirement of venerated models Information Systems Human-Machine Teaming Aerospace community continues to harness potential of human-machine teaming Software CAPSTONE software bug, Russian hacking Ukraine computer systems and data integrity advances among the year’s highlights Computer Systems Computing advances allow planetary missions to leap forward Digital Avionics Enabling advances in aircraft operations 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 Communications Systems Operators make progress on constellation deployment for secure, low-cost global connectivity Aerospace Cybersecurity Space and aviation sectors take steps to guard against increased cyberattacks Intelligent Systems Year of autonomy in Alaskan glaciers, flight, Earth orbit, cislunar space and Mars Propulsion and Energy Hybrid Rockets Advancements in laser ignition systems, active controls, hybrid biofuels and suborbital sounding rockets Propellants and Combustion Ammonia for clean and sustainable propulsion Gas Turbine Engines Gas turbine engines focus on decarbonization of commercial air travel Solid Rockets Major strides in hypersonic booster development and weapons appropriations highlight 2022 Inlets, Nozzles, and Propulsion Systems Integration New integration and alternative fuel initiatives create greater efficiency, reduce emissions Nuclear and Future Flight Propulsion Nuclear propulsion: bringing human presence to Mars Liquid Propulsion Opportunities abound with the world’s most powerful rockets Terrestrial Energy Systems Progress toward hydrogen aviation Energetic Components and Systems Propellant from Mars, metallic combustion and an exploding foil initiator High-Speed Air-Breathing Propulsion Ramjet and scramjet propulsion mature, advancing weapon capabilities Pressure Gain Combustion Rotating detonation engines at the forefront of pressure gain combustion Aerospace Power Systems Strategic year for resumption of lunar missions and beyond Electric Propulsion Variety grows and performance improves in space electric propulsion Space and Missiles Space Architecture Accelerating architecture for low-Earth orbit and beyond Space Transportation Another record-setting year for spaceflight 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 Weapon System Effectiveness Hypersonics, advanced materials and shockwaves Gravity Dependent Science and Technology Technical Committee Multiple microgravity laboratories help advance fluid dynamics and combustion research Life Sciences and Systems New suit designs and methods to survive in space Space Systems New windows into the universe and new commercial space capabilities Missile Systems Race for hypersonics spurs on missile systems Space Automation and Robotics Robotics for in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing is key for sustainable space infrastructure Reusable Launch Vehicles Rocket manufacturers face challenges in push for reusable launch vehicle development Small Satellite Small satellites spread beyond niche roles Space Tethers Space tethers focus on deorbit and debris mitigation Integration Supersonics Bringing civil supersonic flight closer to fruition CFD Vision 2030 Continued progress toward the CFD Vision 2030 goals Space Exploration Space exploration’s giant eye in the sky opens Transformational Flight Transformational flight prepares path to operations Aerospace Traffic Management U.S. prepares for new entrants in the national airspace Aerospace Outreach Society and Aerospace Technology A year of seeing the unseen History James Webb Space Telescope and Artemis I launch top year’s accomplishments Read the previous year's stories here.
Structures Advancements in multiphysics, multiscale and damage modeling and new composite cryotank highlight year’s achievements
Materials 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
Survivability U.S. Department of Defense advances survivability for spacecraft, aircraft and personnel
Spacecraft Structures Webb telescope’s massive sunshield does its job in space, development begins on the next breakthrough space structures
Guidance, Navigation and Control Fusion of multiple sensors and advanced algorithms facilitate new autonomous operation capabilities
Aerodynamic Measurement Technology High-speed imaging methods demonstrate new diagnostic capabilities
Atmospheric and Space Environments Machine learning, flight experiments highlight progress in aerospace environments
Meshing, Visualization and Computational Environments New software releases headline year’s achievements
Plasmadynamics and Lasers Plasma-assisted propulsion and energy: toward carbon-free, high-efficiency processes
Air Transportation Systems Air transportation encounters inflationary headwinds on its recovery from pandemic
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
Hypersonic Technologies and Aerospace Planes Operational expendable hypersonics and the race for reusability
Software 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
Communications Systems Operators make progress on constellation deployment for secure, low-cost global connectivity
Aerospace Cybersecurity Space and aviation sectors take steps to guard against increased cyberattacks
Intelligent Systems Year of autonomy in Alaskan glaciers, flight, Earth orbit, cislunar space and Mars
Hybrid Rockets Advancements in laser ignition systems, active controls, hybrid biofuels and suborbital sounding rockets
Solid Rockets Major strides in hypersonic booster development and weapons appropriations highlight 2022
Inlets, Nozzles, and Propulsion Systems Integration New integration and alternative fuel initiatives create greater efficiency, reduce emissions
Energetic Components and Systems Propellant from Mars, metallic combustion and an exploding foil initiator
High-Speed Air-Breathing Propulsion Ramjet and scramjet propulsion mature, advancing weapon capabilities
Space Logistics Development of on-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing creates new capabilities in spacefaring operations
Gravity Dependent Science and Technology Technical Committee Multiple microgravity laboratories help advance fluid dynamics and combustion research
Space Automation and Robotics Robotics for in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing is key for sustainable space infrastructure
Reusable Launch Vehicles Rocket manufacturers face challenges in push for reusable launch vehicle development
