As the industry prepares for new aircraft like autonomous air taxis and delivery drones to enter airspace, the importance of reliable communications links is more critical that ever. NASA is driving innovation in this space leading ground-breaking research changing how these next-generation aircraft will stay connected.
Glenn researcher Bryan Schoenholz explained:
“If an autonomous air taxi or drone flight loses its communications link, we have a very unsafe situation. We can’t afford a ‘dropped call’ up there because that connection is critical to the safety of the flight.”
To tackle this, researchers at NASA have been developing and testing an aerodynamic, reliable communication solution that is embedded into the skin of an aircraft. This “ultra-lightweight” antenna uses one of the lightest solid materials in the world.
Designed to be integrated into the skin of an aircraft, the antenna lays flat against the surface, minimising drag while maintaining a strong and steady satellite connection. This new system, known as an “active phased array aerogel antenna,” electronically steers its radio beam with pinpoint accuracy to maintain a reliable link, even at high speeds or during complex manoeuvres.
Yesterday, NASA released an announcement that described the aerogel as:
Made up of flexible, high-performance plastics known as polymers. The design features high air content (95 per cent) and offers a combination of light weight and strength. Researchers can adjust its properties to achieve either the flexibility of plastic wrap or the rigidity of plexiglass.
NASA sandwiched a layer of aerogel between a small circuit board and an array of thin, circular copper cells, then topped the design off with a type of film known for its electrical insulation properties. This innovation is known at NASA and in the aviation community as an active phased array aerogel antenna.
The material has already undergone a series of tests. These include mounting a rigid version of the antenna on a small aircraft last summer and ground tests in October where the antenna was used to successfully connect with both Low Earth orbit satellites and Geostationary satellites.
With the integration of new aircraft looming close on the horizon, technologies like NASA’s aerogel antenna could play a crucial role in building a safe, connected, and efficient future.
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