Aviation Week reports GE Aviation “is preparing for the start of ground tests of a modified hybrid-electric CT7 turboprop variant following the completion of what the engine-maker says is the world’s first test in simulated altitude conditions of a megawatt-class and multi-kilovolt hybrid-electric propulsion system.” The tests are part of NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project, through which GE “is developing a megawatt-scale hybrid-electric propulsion system which will be flight tested on a Saab 340B powered by modified CT7-9B turboprops.” Aviation Week mentions that BAE Systems “will provide energy management components, including the battery and cabling.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: test
DARPA to Test Nuclear-Powered Spacecraft
Space News reported that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plans to “send to orbit a spacecraft powered by a nuclear propulsion system.” The technology “could give the U.S. military an advantage over enemies by making satellites more maneuverable and less vulnerable to attack.” DARPA’s Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2025.
Full Story (Space News)