FROM THE INSTITUTE
Sustainability and broader fuel efficiency-related priorities have been core to AIAA’s Aeronautics Domain since its initial launch in 2021. Addressing climate change is a component, but not the sole challenge to realizing this future. A key reality is an energy transition away from fossil fuels. How aviation addresses this energy transition, in harmony with other sectors, shaped conversations throughout AIAA AVIATION Forum.
Tag: From the Institute
Future of U.S. Airpower Rests on Dual-Use Innovation
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Leaders from JetZero, Joby Aviation, and Mach Industries urged faster pathways to field dual-use aerospace technologies at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026.
Professor Amy Pritchett Calls for “Team Autonomy” to Safeguard Global Airspace
FROM INSTITUTE
At AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026, Amy Pritchett, head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Penn State University, challenged the aerospace community to rethink how it designs autonomy for the global airspace system – shifting from a focus on “human vs. autonomy” to human-autonomy teams built on interdependence, shared responsibility, and explainable behavior.
Framing AI in Aerospace at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Gregory Roth, incoming chair of AIAA’s new Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Aerospace Applications Working Group and aerospace engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Air Platform Concepts Branch in Ohio, was pleasantly reassured with the approach to AI at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026. The discussion around AI in Aerospace is now clearly in full swing.
AIAA Strengthens Connections with Student Branches
FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA has more than 270 student branches, including over 60 international student branches, and a total active membership of over 9,000 students worldwide. These branches connect students who share a passion for aerospace while fostering collaboration, professional growth and education development.
Air Force Pushes Collaborative Combat Aircraft From Concept to Combat Readiness
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Air Force leaders and industry partners working on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Program said at the AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026 that the United States can no longer rely on long, linear acquisition timelines if it hopes to keep pace with technologically sophisticated adversaries.
High School Students Dive into Aerospace Research at Regional Student Conferences
FROM THE INSTITUTE
At AIAA Regional Student Conferences students present their research in a formal technical meeting atmosphere, as well as exchanging ideas and discussing programs with students from other schools in the region. 2026 marks the first time that every student conference featured a dedicated track for high school students to present their work.
H2-Aero Symposium: An Industry-Academia-Government Push to Decarbonize Aviation and Airports with Hydrogen
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Hydrogen offers a great potential to commercialize zero emission aviation and fuel, using up to ~1/3 less energy and having lower costs at scale to produce than SAF. The H2-Aero Symposium highlighted the latest advances in hydrogen aerospace and liquid hydrogen.
AIAA Sections Bring Aerospace Communities Together
FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA sections are where the action happens. Each section offers technical programs and activities tailored to local aerospace professionals, students and educators.
From the Lab to Low Earth Orbit: In-Space Manufacturers Chart the Path to an Industrial Future
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Six companies gathered at an ISS National Laboratory technical session at ASCEND 2026 to describe their progress in in-space manufacturing, commercial space station development, and the computing and logistics infrastructure that will underpin a low Earth orbit (LEO) economy. Taken together, their presentations reflected an ecosystem still being built — but one with real hardware, real data, and real customers. AIAA explores these efforts in a three-part series.