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The past year in aerospace was so full of exciting developments that we found it difficult to choose a final five. From the rise of sustainable and green aviation to the overall growth of public and private space innovations, 2024 has been a turning point for the future of flight technology. The boldest breakthroughs, however, came in the form of a flying taxi powered by hydrogen, a rocket plane that can reach space, commercial astronauts outside their spacecraft, the possible return of supersonic air travel, and the launch of a mission to find life. beyond the asteroid belt.
(Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from Popular Science’s 37th annual Best of What’s New awards. Be sure to read the full list of the 50 Biggest Innovations of 2024.)
Grand Prize Winner
Hydrogen-electric VTOL air taxi from Joby: fly from Boston to Washington without visiting an airport and without emissions
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Between the negative impact of carbon emissions and the headache of TSA lines, flying often feels like more hassle than it’s worth. But Joby Aviation’s hydrogen-powered air taxi might just be the fresh (and clean) air we’ve been waiting for. By replacing traditional batteries with an advanced liquid hydrogen fuel system, Joby has increased the range of its electric vertical take-off aircraft beyond the original approximately 150 miles on battery power. To prove this, they conducted a 523-mile test flight in July, demonstrating what could soon redefine regional travel. As if on cue, in October the FAA introduced its first new category of civilian aircraft since the helicopter debuted in the 1940s, clearing the runway for air taxis to potentially become as common as helicopters in our daily lives.
Mk-II Aurora rocket-powered aircraft from Dawn Aerospace: a rapidly reusable spacecraft
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One of the biggest challenges for space commercialization remains the relatively high launch costs. Dawn Aerospace’s Mk-II Aurora addresses this problem by combining rocket-powered performance with the operational flexibility of an aircraft. Although still in testing, the Aurora is designed to demonstrate rapid reusability, allowing it to complete multiple flights in a single day. This is an important step toward making commercial space as accessible and efficient as commercial aviation. The Aurora’s innovative design allows it to take off from standard runways without the need for exclusive airspace, making it ideal for applications such as atmospheric research, Earth observation and microgravity experiments. As a technology demonstrator, it also serves as a foundation for development, perhaps one day proving that the sky is no longer the limit for runway flight.
Polaris Dawn spacewalk by SpaceX: first EVA by private astronauts
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Imagine stepping out of your cozy spacecraft and into the vast, unknown expanse of space: no government agency to hold your hand, just you, your crew, and the infinite cosmos. That’s exactly what the Polaris Dawn team accomplished on September 12 with the first-ever commercial spacewalk. By venturing into the void without the usual safety net of government oversight, the Polaris Dawn mission has opened the door to a future where space travel is not just the playground of governments. Instead, it’s open to private enterprise and possibly one day to everyday adventurers. The Polaris Dawn spacewalk also tested SpaceX’s new EVA suits to show that private companies can develop and deploy the technology humans need to survive in space.
X-59 Quiet Supersonic Transport by NASA and Lockheed Martin: A Return to Supersonic Air Travel
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NASA’s Quest Mission is trying to make boom-free supersonic travel a reality with their X-59 supersonic aircraft. Traditional supersonic aircraft such as the Concorde were notorious for their earth-shattering sound waves, which made them unable to fly over land. The X-59, which made its public debut in January, is designed to eliminate the boom and replace it with a gentle “thump” using clever engineering such as a super-streamlined body and advanced aerodynamic features. If successful, the X-59 could pave the way for the resumption of supersonic passenger flights over populated areas, dramatically reducing travel times without disrupting communities. After test flights to ensure safety in 2025, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several U.S. cities, gathering public feedback to help rewrite aviation regulations that currently ban supersonic overland flight.
NASA’s Europa Clipper: Searching for the ingredients of life in Jupiter’s orbit
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The Europa Clipper, which just launched in October, is NASA’s newest research probe. It will explore one of the solar system’s most intriguing mysteries: Does Jupiter’s icy moon Europa have what it takes to support life? It is theorized that Europa has a vast, salty ocean beneath its frozen crust – an environment ripe for life as we know it. That’s where the Clipper comes in: it’s equipped with advanced instruments to detect signs of water or possible signs of life. When the spacecraft reaches Europe in 2031, it will fly by dozens of times, capturing detailed images of the moon’s surface and analyzing plumes of water vapor that are likely to erupt from cracks in the icy crust. By exploring what may lie beneath Europa’s surface, Clipper could redefine our understanding of Europa and guide future missions.
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