Research

Research spans fundamental propulsion technology development for small drones through to overall aircraft configuration assessment for all-electric commercial aircraft.

The focus is on the very long term — technologies that could result in near-silent propulsion and low or no emissions. There are three strategic areas:

  • Aircraft design
  • Environmental performance
  • Propulsion technology

Please explore our publications to explore our work in depth. For research on the environmental challenges facing aviation, please visit the Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment. Other work at MIT on propulsion and ultra-efficient aircraft design is undertaken at the Gas Turbine Laboratory and the Aerospace Computational Design Laboratory.