Naomi Cooper
Boeing has partnered with NASA and United Airlines to conduct in-flight tests to examine how sustainable aviation fuel can impact contrails and non-carbon emissions and reduce carbon soot.
The study will involve the Boeing-manufactured second ecoDemonstrator Explorer, which will fly using 100 percent SAF and conventional jet fuel stored in separate tanks, the aerospace and defense contractor said Thursday.
During the tests, NASA’s DC-8 Airborne Science Lab will follow the aircraft to measure fuel emissions and contrail ice particles while agency satellites will capture images of contrail formation.
The in-flight test is part of a multi-year partnership between Boeing and NASA to analyze the environmental benefits of SAF.
World Energy produces SAF for the tests from its facility in Paramount, California, with support from the Federal Aviation Administration, GE Aerospace and the German Aerospace Center.
