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Cover-1110final.qxd:AA Template 10/21/10 3:02 PM Page 1 10 AEROSPACE AMERICA November 2010 NOVEMBER 2010 AIR FORCE TECHNOLOGY CHANGEonthehorizon Hayabusa makes a triumphant return X-37B wings into space APUBLICATIONOFTHEAMERICANINSTITUTEOFAERONAUTICSANDASTRONAUTICS 10-0527 With NEW representatives, NEW goals, and NEW priorities in Washington, D.C., taking part in the 2011 Congressional Visits Day Program is more important than ever. Come to D.C., and share your passion for aerospace. Let your representatives hear how vital our community is to our national and economic security, and take an active role in helping shape the future of that community. On Wednesday, 16 March, AIAA members will share their passion about aerospace issues on Capitol Hill. Join us as we meet with legislators to discuss the importance of science, engineering, and technology to our national security and prosperity. AIAA Congressional Visits Day 2011 To register for AIAA Congressional Visits Day 2011 please visit www.aiaa.org/events/cvd, or contact Duane Hyland at [email protected] or 703.264.7558 toc.NOV2010-final.qxd:AA Template 10/15/10 3:03 PM Page 1 November 2010 DEPARTMENTS Page 4 COMMENTARY 3 The Greening of aviation: Another context. INTERNATIONAL BEAT 4 Europe charts path to sixth-generation fighter. WASHINGTON WATCH 8 The waiting game. CONVERSATIONS 11 With Mark Clough. Page 16 ENGINEERING NOTEBOOK 14 Futuristic aircraft: Old-fashioned look is only skin deep. OUT OF THE PAST 40 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES 42 VIEWPOINT COMBINING SAFETY AND SURVIVABILITY FOR FUTURE SPACEFARING 16 Combining survivability concepts of military aircraft design with the safety discipline of the spaceflight community can lead to safer space travel. by Robert E.Ball Page 8 FEATURES HAYABUSA’S ROUND-TRIP TO AN ASTEROID 22 After a troubled journey, Hayabusa had a perfect reentry and delivered a payload that may hold surprises. by Leonard David AIR FORCE TECHNOLOGY:CHANGE ON THE HORIZON 28 Two decades of technology advances will radically change the Air Force and its systems, as well as their human operators. by James W.Canan AIR FORCE X-37B WINGS INTO SPACE 34 After decades in the “wild blue yonder,” Air Force wings are finally flying where the blue sky turns to black. by Craig Covault BULLETIN AIAA Meeting Schedule B2 AIAA Courses and Training Program B4 AIAA News B5 Meeting Program B15 Page 28 COVER The USAF report Technology Horizons describes an Air Force transformed by new technologies.For a look at what those changes Page 34 may be, turn to the story on page 28.Copyright© University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.Photo by Carlye Calvin. Aerospace America (ISSN 0740-722X) is published monthly, except August, by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. at 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, Va. 20191-4344 [703/264-7577]. Subscription rate is 50% of dues for AIAA members (and is not deductible therefrom). Nonmember subscription price: U.S. and Canada, $163, foreign, $200. Single copies $20 each. Postmaster: Send address changes and subscription orders to address above, attention AIAA Customer Service, 703/264-7500. Periodical postage paid at Herndon, VA, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2010 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., all rights reserved. The name Aerospace America is registered by the AIAA in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 40,000 copies of this issue printed. This is Volume 48, No. 10. “I launched an Estes Astron Scout – I saw the smoke trail go up in the air and thought it was cool. Suddenly for the first time I could see how fins were angles, nose cones were parabolas. Geometry had value now and I loved it.” David Newill AIAA Associate Fellow In fascinating new videos, AIAAA members recallrec the moment when aerospaceerospace capturedcaptur Share the Inspiration their imagination. Share your story too, anda spread the passionon for aerospace.aerospa www.aiaa.org/MyStory/M www.aiaa.org/MyStory 09-0124_WDYK_AA_mar.indd 1 2/25/09 10:48:27 AM nov.comment.qxd:AA Template 10/14/10 9:53 AM Page 1 ® is a publication of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Elaine J. Camhi Editor-in-Chief Patricia Jefferson The greening of aviation: Another context Associate Editor Greg Wilson Production Editor Much emphasis has been placed in recent years on the greening of aviation. Jerry Grey, Editor-at-Large Christine Williams, Editor AIAA Bulletin The primary focus has been on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, most notably carbon dioxide. But the burgeoning efforts in this direction have another Correspondents “greening” effect: the saving of “greenbacks.” Robert F. Dorr, Washington In July 1999, I wrote what might be viewed as an obituary for governmental Philip Butterworth-Hayes, Europe Michael Westlake, Hong Kong support of aeronautics R&D: “In FY99, both high-speed research (HSR) and advanced subsonic technology (AST) were essentially zeroed, leaving a yawning Contributing Writers gap in the technologies they supported. Then the DOD closed out its efforts in Richard Aboulafia, James W. Canan, hypersonic research. These actions, along with the now-decimated research and Marco Cáceres, Craig Covault, Philip Finnegan, Ed Flinn, Tom Jones, David technology (R&T) base, leave virtually no support for advanced U.S. aeronautics Rockwell, Frank Sietzen, J.R. Wilson technology development.” But now the new focus on environmental impacts has revitalized aeronautics Fitzgerald Art & Design Art Direction and Design R&D. NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) program, aimed at technologies and designs that could be implemented during the next 25 years, Craig Byl, Manufacturing and Distribution is developing advanced aeronautical technologies and novel designs that go well Mark Lewis, President beyond those envisioned by the old HSR and AST programs. These include new Robert S. Dickman, Publisher aircraft configurations such as the hybrid wing-body for Boeing-777-class aircraft, STEERING COMMITTEE highly integrated airframe-propulsion concepts, advanced engine concepts Michael B. Bragg, University of Illinois; such as a three-shaft turbofan and a turbine-electric hybrid, integrated composite Philip Hattis, Draper Laboratory; Mark S. structures, active aeroservoelastic controls, and especially the long-sought holy Maurice, AFOSR; Laura McGill, Raytheon; grail of drag reduction, laminar flow control (LFC). Under the ERA program Merri Sanchez, National Aeronautics and LFC has finally been brought within reach in practical aircraft hardware. Space Administration; Mary Snitch, Lockheed Combinations of these technologies are projected to produce not only marked Martin; David W. Thompson, Orbital reductions in emissions, but fuel-burn savings of up to 70%. And the ERA EDITORIAL BOARD program’s aggressive environmental goals have even spurred two designs for Ned Allen, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics; 100-seat supersonic airliners, circa 2030-2035. Jean-Michel Contant, EADS; Eugene The NextGen air traffic management system being implemented by the Covert, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; FAA represents another avenue—aircraft operations—for improving aviation L.S. “Skip” Fletcher, Texas A&M University; economics, along with big environmental benefits. “Tailored arrivals” and 4D Michael Francis, United Technologies; trajectory operations (three spatial dimensions plus time) can achieve huge Christian Mari, Teuchos; Cam Martin, fuel savings. Finally, the substantial replacement of petroleum-based fuels by NASA Dryden; Don Richardson, Donrich Research; Douglas Yazell, Honeywell alternative fuels derived from agricultural and municipal wastes and crops that do not impinge on food production (such as algae, camelina, salicornia, and ADVERTISING jatropha) is finally imminent: Approval of blends using up to 50% of these fuels National Display and Classified: is expected shortly. The benefits of alternative fuels go well beyond that of Robert Silverstein, 240.498.9674 fuel-burn cost reduction, by reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil imports. [email protected] Europe too is moving aggressively in cost-reduction measures that derive West Coast Display: Greg Cruse, from reducing environmental impact. The Smart Fixed Wing Aircraft program 949.361.1870 / [email protected] will fly a “smart” wing with passive and active laminar flow and load control and Send materials to Craig Byl, AIAA, 1801 will demonstrate propulsion-empennage integration with open-rotor engines. Alexander Bell Drive, Suite 500, Reston, VA Future European thrusts include liquid-crystal polymer fibers (strength/weight 20191-4344. Changes of address should be ratios tenfold higher than steel), the “Claire Liner,” whose box wing-empennage sent to Customer Service at the same address, integration and “dolphin” body shape substantially increase lift-to-drag ratios, by e-mail at [email protected], or by fax at hypersonics, and solar-powered aircraft. 703.264.7606. Many have argued that since aviation generates only 2% of anthropometric Send Letters to the Editor to Elaine Camhi greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, efforts to reduce that small contribution at the same address or [email protected] even further are not really necessary. But the ancillary benefits—both the November 2010, Vol. 48, No.10 significant cost savings that can be realized and especially the revitalization of government research in aeronautics—are very good reasons for pursuing the greening of aviation. Jerry Grey Editor-at-Large BEATlayout.qxd:AA Template