Boeing, NASA, United Airlines Partner To Test SAF Impacts and Potential Benefits

Boeing, NASA and United Airlines have just announced a new collaboration aimed at strengthening sustainability in the aviation industry. The organizations are partnering to conduct in-flight testing to gauge what the effects of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) may be on planes’ contrails and non-carbon emissions, as well as innovate ways of reducing SAF’s climate impact.

Boeing's second ecoDemonstrator Explorer, a 737-10 model aircraft with LEAP-1B engines which will be operated by United Airlines, will fly using two separate fuel tanks—one containing 100% SAF and another with conventional jet fuel—and alternate between fuel sources during its test run. 

NASA's DC-8 Airborne Science Lab will also take to the air, trailing just behind the jet to measure emissions and contrail ice particles as it uses each fuel type. Meanwhile, NASA satellites will also capture real-time images of contrails (trails of condensed water vapor produced by planes at high altitudes) as they’re produced during testing.  

Researchers seek to gather information to better understand how advanced fuels, combustible engine designs and other technologies combine to help cut down on atmospheric warming effects. For instance, this testing will enable scientists to study how SAF might alter the characteristics of contrails, since there is research that’s suggested certain contrails can trap heat in the atmosphere.

This endeavor represents the latest phase of a multi-year partnership established between NASA and Boeing that aims to analyze the ways in which SAF usage can reduce harmful emissions and potentially provide other environmental benefits.

NASA’s DC-8 Airborne Science Lab. (Photo Credit: Boeing)

SAF, which is derived from various sustainably produced feedstocks, can cut aviation emissions by as much as 85 percent over its life cycle in comparison to conventional jet fuel. It currently holds the highest potential for reducing the aviation industry’s carbon emissions over the course of the next 30 years. Boeing has already made a commitment to deliver commercial airplanes that are compatible with pure SAF by 2030.

"We are honored to collaborate with NASA, United Airlines, and other valued partners on research that will strengthen the industry's understanding of the benefits of SAF beyond reducing carbon emissions," said Boeing Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Raymond. "We've solved hard problems before, and if we continue to take meaningful actions, I'm confident we'll achieve a more sustainable aerospace future, together."

"Flight testing is complex and resource-intensive, yet it's the gold standard for understanding how sustainable aerospace innovations affect changes in contrails and climate," said Rich Wahls, NASA mission integration manager for the Sustainable Flight National Partnership. "This is why we're bringing NASA's DC-8 to bear on this collaboration, where the valuable flight data will improve our predictive models."

"This collaboration between Boeing, NASA and United has the potential to not only help us better understand contrails but to provide the full scope of what our transition to SAF can provide beyond greenhouse-gas reductions," said United Chief Sustainability Officer, Lauren Riley.

Additional support for this project is being provided by:

• World Energy, which is supplying the SAF for these tests.
• U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is providing funding through the ASCENT Center of Excellence.
• GE Aerospace, which is providing technical expertise and project funding.
• German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt or DLR), which is providing experts and instrumentation.

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