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Atlanta, GA | Posted: July 16, 2015
Maintaining and improving our country's aeronautics program in an increasingly competitive world was the subject of a June 18 talk by Dr. Jaiwon Shin, NASA's associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
Shin visited Georgia Tech while he was in Atlanta for the AIAA Aviation Conference.
His talk, entitled, "NASA's Strategic Vision for Aeronautics Research' was followed by a lively question and answer session that included queries from high area school students who are involved in the ASDL STEP camp.
For the most part, however, it was an opportunity for AE faculty and graduate students to grill the senior administrator about the future of the aeronautics field.
Looking ahead, Shin said, we should expect an explosion in the demand for air travel from China, where a more robust economy is creating a demand for leisure as well as business travel.
"Over the past five years, 360 million new flight passengers -- people who have never flown before -- have taken an airplane," he said. "One third of them are from China."
Shin predicted more international competition for R&D support, which will be needed to supply an increasing number of new commercial airplanes. Depending on whom you ask, he said, we will need to build 22-34 thousand new planes to satisfy demand by the year 2030.
While he noted that the strong demand translates to a strong job market for aeronautic engineers, he also pointed out that innovation will be needed to secure a strong position in the market.
"Flight time will become a commodity, where planes that can cut flight time by 30 or 40 percent will command a premium from the consumer," he said."Right now, it takes me 14 hours -- that's 4 movies and two airplane meals -- to get to see my family in Korea. The airplane that can cut that time will be in demand.
Dr. Shin manages the agency’s aeronautics research portfolio and guides its strategic direction. This portfolio includes research in the fundamental aeronautics of flight, aviation safety and the nation’s airspace system.
Shin co-chairs the National Science & Technology Council’s Aeronautics Science & Technology Subcommittee. Comprised of federal departments and agencies that fund aeronautics-related research, the subcommittee wrote the nation’s first presidential policy for aeronautics research and development (R&D). The policy was established by Executive Order 13419 in December 2006 and will guide U.S. aeronautics R&D programs through 2020. The subcommittee finished writing the National Aeronautics R&D Plan in December 2007 and is currently writing the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Infrastructure Plan both of which were called for by the Executive Order.
Dr. Jaiwon Shin, left, and AE Chair Dr. Vigor Yang had a moment to chat before the NASA administrator gave his talk. See more photos from his visit to GT-AE.
