NASA Hosts Green Aviation Summit; Bolden Highlights Importance of Issue to Future of NASA

NASA has a "critical responsibility" to the flying public to develop environmentally responsible solutions to the nation's most pressing aviation problems, Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. said Wednesday. Addressing the Green Aviation Summit under way through Thursday at NASA's Ames Research Center, Bolden said air travel is one of the safest modes of transportation and vital to the U.S. economy, but increasing air traffic is taking a toll on the environment and the nation's aviation infrastructure. "We need to make some changes both in the design of aircraft and in the way they transit through our skies to not only maintain, but improve safety and efficiency," Bolden said. "That's a huge challenge, but we at NASA enthusiastically accept it."

The Green Aviation Summit is highlighting the depth and breadth of NASA's work to develop aviation technologies that are designed to make air transportation cleaner and quieter for the environment, with fewer delays for travelers. "Our critical responsibility is [to] those who feel anxious because of the long distance they have to travel to reach an airport; the crowding they experience upon arrival at the terminal; the departure, enroute, or arrival weather; or concerns that the technology on the planes may not be up to dealing with problems that may be encountered in the sky," Bolden told the summit.

The two-day meeting has brought together about 200 experts from NASA, other federal government organizations, industry and academia. Keynote presentations by leading policymakers as well as detailed technical presentations and panel discussions are focusing on state-of-the-art and emerging technologies that can reduce aircraft noise, emissions and fuel consumption and ensure the safe and manageable growth of the aviation system. Jaiwon Shin, NASA's associate administrator for aeronautics research, said NASA technology will become increasingly important because of the lack of available space for new airports. "We really are helping the country to advance to the next generation of air transportation and aviation by working together," he said. "This summit signifies our strong commitment."