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Selected Highlights of
Accomplishments
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| This Annual
Program Report contains the accomplishments made in the past year by the
people and partners of NASA's Aeronautics and Space Transportation
Technology Enterprise. It is our intent to report annually on the
Enterprise's accomplishments toward each goal. In this way the american
public may see how their investments in aviation and space technology
are working. Below are a few highlights.
NASA has
developed new anti-icing technologies to make flying safer. A new
anti-icing fluid will prevent ice building on aircraft awaiting takeoff
during winter weather, and an "ice zapper" will keep ice from collecting
on aircraft surfaces in flight.
Advanced designs
for engine fan blades, exhaust nozzles, acoustic liners, and wing flaps
have shown a collective 4 decibels of quieting. This should reduce the
noisy area surrounding airports by 30 percent.
NASA and the
Federal Aviation Administration developed a series of tools designed to
help air traffic controllers and pilots manage aircraft movement in and
about airports. These tools, combined, have demonstrated the potential
to reduce delays by 20 percent, even in poor visibility.
Eighteen research
flights of the Russian Tu-144LL supersonic aircraft were performed.
Significant quantities of data were collected to study flight dynamics,
cabin noise, and ground effects for landing performance. These data
will assist in the design of a U.S. supersonic airliner.
The X-33
technology program has completed its critical reviews and begun vehicle
assembly. Construction of the launch facility is under way in
preparation for the first flight in July 1999.
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