- NASA Home
- > Offices
- > IPP
- > Centers
- > DFRC
- > Technology
Materials Technologies
Recent developments at Dryden have advanced material properties and application methods to improve the performance and efficiency of various types of aircraft. These technologies have also provided benefits ranging from reduced noise pollution to improved vehicle safety.
Featured Technologies
-
Reusable Ram Booster Launch Design Emphasizes Use of Existing Components to Achieve Space Transport for Satellites and Spacecraft
Engineers at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center have designed a partially reusable launch system to propel a payload-bearing spacecraft into a low Earth orbit (LEO).
Other Technologies
-
Aeronautic Sound Shield to Reduce Noise Pollution
This low-cost sound shield is capable of reducing the noise of aircraft traveling at subsonic speed. The technology injects a high–molecular weight gas onto the aircraft surface, producing a local area of supersonic flow. This blocks sound waves traveling in all directions without diminishing aircraft performance or efficiency.
-
Reducing Blunt-Based Vehicle Drag by Increasing Forebody Roughness
Dryden's new method for reducing the drag of blunt-body vehicles calls for coarsening a portion of the forebody surface, which reduces base drag and total vehicle drag.
-
Alleviating Helicopter Tail Boom Loads with Passive Venting
This new method and apparatus reduces loads on a helicopter tail boom to improve maneuverability. The innovation uses passive venting on the boom to alleviate side forces generated in hover and sideward flight as well as dynamic forces, including vibrations.