NASA Awards Electra $3.5 Million to Lead Sustainable Airliner Development
NASA has chosen Electra.aero, a Virginia-based aerospace company, to spearhead efforts in developing next-generation technologies for commercial airliners under the agency’s Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) 2050 initiative.
The announcement, made on November 12, reveals that Electra has secured two contracts totaling $3.5 million to help advance sustainable aviation technologies. The AACES program is part of NASA’s broader strategy to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation industry and make air travel more environmentally friendly.
As part of this effort, Electra will work alongside several high-profile partners, including Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, Honeywell Aerospace, American Airlines, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment, and the University of Michigan’s Department of Aerospace Engineering.
Electra, known for its innovative work in hybrid-electric aviation, is focused on designing a short takeoff and landing (STOL) regional airliner. The company’s engineering team will collaborate with the consortium to refine aircraft concepts and technologies that could meet NASA’s vision for future air travel, targeting a post-2045 aviation landscape. The goal is to develop aircraft that are not only sustainable but also scalable, with the potential to serve a variety of mission profiles.
As part of its proposal, Electra outlined a suite of technologies aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of aviation, as well as a concept for an aircraft that could serve a variety of needs within the air transport sector. The team will focus on developing a market forecast for the new technologies, working toward specifications for an aircraft that could transform the way air travel operates in the coming decades.
Leading the effort for Electra is Alejandra Uranga, the company’s chief engineer for research and future concepts. Uranga, who is also a faculty member at the University of Southern California’s Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering department, brings deep experience in advanced air vehicle programs. She previously co-led NASA’s N+3 program while at MIT’s aerospace research team.
In a statement, Barbara Esker, NASA’s deputy administrator for aeronautics, noted that this collaboration between NASA and the private sector would play a crucial role in delivering the technologies needed to ensure cleaner skies in the future.
Electra’s Hybrid-Electric Aircraft: Revolutionizing Urban Air Mobility
Alongside its work under the AACES program, Electra is also pushing forward with its own hybrid-electric aircraft development. On November 13, the company is set to unveil the first full-scale prototype of its blown-lift electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft, which can carry nine passengers.
Electra’s eSTOL aircraft boasts remarkable performance, with the ability to take off and land in ultra-short distances. This capability opens up new possibilities for regional aviation, allowing the aircraft to operate routes without needing access to major airports.
Compared to traditional helicopters and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Electra’s eSTOL aircraft is designed to offer over twice the payload, 10 times the range, and operate at just 70% of the cost. Electra has targeted the “direct aviation” market, focusing on connecting city pairs and expanding access to more remote regions where conventional airport infrastructure may not be available.
The company has already secured provisional sales agreements for more than 2,000 eSTOL aircraft from 52 operators. Electra’s leadership, under CEO Marc Allen—formerly a senior executive at Boeing—hopes to transform the landscape of urban air mobility with this new class of hybrid-electric aircraft.
Founded in 2020 by John Langford, the visionary behind Aurora Flight Sciences (acquired by Boeing in 2017), Electra is quickly making a name for itself in the electric aviation sector. The company’s work continues to gain traction, with a successful flight of a two-seat technology demonstrator powered by its 150-kilowatt hybrid-electric propulsion system.
