Spirit AeroSystems announced that it is moving forward in NASA’s Sustainable Flight National Partnership as a key partner in the Hi-Rate Composite Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM) project.
Spirit is among 14 organizations awarded NASA contracts for initial development of the HiCAM project.
The project aims to reduce the cost and increase the production of composite structures made in the U.S. Officials say that lighter weight composite airframes will lead to reduced fuel usage and emissions, making commercial aviation more environmentally sustainable.
HiCAM will eventually select the most promising concepts for further development, followed by a full-scale demonstration of fuselage and wing components by 2028.
Pending results of annual federal budget negotiations, NASA says its plans to invest $184 million in HiCAM while partner organizations are expected to contribute $136 million, resulting in a total project operating budget of around $320 million.
