Electra, a Virginia-based startup which is currently developing a clean sheet hybrid-electric ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft, has been awarded a contract to participate in NASA’s Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) 2050 initiative.
The initiative is part of research conducted by the US space agency under its Advanced Air Vehicles Program. The aim is to develop key technologies for a new generation of sustainable airliners expected to enter service by the middle of the century.
Electra’s Chief Engineer for Research and Future Concepts, Dr. Alejandra Uranga, will lead the collaborative project, which will also involve several major players in the field of aerospace research. This includes American Airlines, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, Lockheed Martin, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment and the University of Michigan Department of Aerospace Engineering.
The announcement comes as Electra is preparing to publicly unveil its first production aircraft. Since November 2023, the startup has been test flying a two-seater hybrid-electric demonstrator called Goldfinch, which will serve as the basis for its nine-seater passenger aircraft.