How Did Bats Begin to Fly? Science Unfolds Their Ancient Secrets
Research from the University of Washington provides new insights into bat evolution, suggesting a transition from gliding ancestors based on limb morphology analysis of extinct…
Flight refers to the act or process of flying, which is the movement through the air or space, typically achieved through the generation of aerodynamic lift, propulsion, and control. In the context of biology, many species, such as birds, bats, and insects, have evolved the capability of flight, utilizing various adaptations such as wings. In the realm of technology, human-engineered flight has been developed through aircraft, including airplanes, helicopters, and drones, which use wings for lift and engines for thrust. Spaceflight is another aspect, involving vehicles such as rockets and spacecraft designed to operate beyond Earth’s atmosphere. The principles of aerodynamics, control systems, and propulsion are central to understanding and developing the technology of flight. This ability has profoundly impacted global connectivity, enabling rapid transportation across the earth and access to outer space, thus broadening the scope of exploration, commerce, and communication.
Research from the University of Washington provides new insights into bat evolution, suggesting a transition from gliding ancestors based on limb morphology analysis of extinct…
Safety is paramount for NASA’s quiet supersonic flight team who are making great strides in preparing for future flight testing with the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic…
Research reveals earliest flight-related molting strategy in 150-million-year ancient bird. Flying birds molt their feathers when they are old and worn because they inhibit flight…
NASA’s first large scale, piloted X-plane in more than three decades is cleared for final assembly and integration of its systems following a major project…
Cornell researchers have made a new discovery about how seemingly minor aspects of the internal structure of bone can be strengthened to withstand repeated wear…
The world of aerospace increasingly relies on carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites to build the structures of satellites, rockets, and jet aircraft. But the life of…
Skilled pilots approaching a runway usually can’t see small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) encroaching on their airspace, and they virtually never detect motionless drones, a…
The leading edges of aircraft wings have to meet a very demanding set of characteristics. New research shows that a combination of steel composite metal…
The first all-electric configuration of NASA’s X-57 Maxwell now is at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The X-57, NASA’s first all-electric…
NASA scientists believe distributed electric propulsion is set to usher in a new era of aviation, allowing engineers to do things that they have wanted…
According to a study at MIT using a new model that determines regional connectivity via air travel, global connectivity increased 140% between 1990 and 2012,…
Scientists at the University of Southampton examine the aerodynamic performance of feathered, non-avian dinosaurs, providing new insight into the evolution of bird flight. In recent…
Flying squirrels, a tribe of 44 species of the family Sciuridae, might look reckless as they fling themselves through the air, but scientists have reported…
The Concorde was the perfect means of oversea travel until expensive tickets, high fuel costs, limited seating and noise disruption from the jet’s sonic boom…
Private spaceflight company Masten Space’s XA-01.B rocket, which they have dubbed Xombie for short, was recently launched and it included Draper Laboratory’s GENIE system. Draper…
A private spaceflight company, Armadillo Aerospace, is reviewing its test data from a rocket test in the New Mexico desert. The flight encountered problems while…
The Russian space capsule Soyuz was slated to launch on March 29th, but a botched pressure test has delayed the launch until May 15th. Soyuz…
For the past year, leading aircraft manufacturers, Lockheed Martin, The Boeing Company, and Northrop Grumman, have been trying to meet NASA’s challenge and develop green…