NIAR receives $10 million NASA funding for high-temp advanced materials

Wichita State University’s (WSU) National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) is to receive more than $10 million from NASA (Washington, D.C., U.S.) for research related to the development, maturation and implementation of high-temperature advanced materials, including composites, for use in hot structures and thermal protection systems (TPS) for hypersonic vehicles.

Accordingly, there are several technological gaps for novel, high-speed materials and structures, including the selection of materials that are capable of withstanding extreme temperatures and extended flight times, as well as the development of reliable design databases.

NIAR and NASA believe that the ability to generate high-fidelity data for these materials is a crucial step in the process of successfully inserting emerging materials into critical space applications. These materials must be proven to perform in extremely challenging environments, while demonstrating manufacturability, consistent production and long-term sustainment.

The research program will require procurement of equipment focused on automated fabrication, processing and densification, characterization, design and analysis, and testing refractory materials and structures. It will complement existing resources available through Wichita’s National Defense Prototype Center (NDPC), a collaboration between NIAR and Spirit AeroSystems (Wichita, Kan., U.S.) that provides a secure space for high-temperature materials testing, development, prototyping and industrialization.

“The National Institute for Aviation Research plays an important role in the advancement of hypersonic capabilities,” says Senator Jerry Moran, a member of the Appropriations Committee on Commerce, Justice and Science. Moran requested the program funding from NASA on behalf of Wichita State. “Over the past several years, I have been working to grow NASA’s footprint in Kansas, including hosting the NASA Administrator and several NASA leaders in Wichita.”