Author name: Kirsten Propitius

Royal NLR and TU Delft present vision for route to sustainable air transport.

Sustainability and Environment

16 February 2021

Royal NLR and TU Delft present vision for route to sustainable air transport

In the white paper published today NLR and Delft University of Technology present their joint vision on the most promising technologies for achieving a climate neutral air transport system by 2050. The European Green Deal states that Europe should be a climate neutral continent by then; a goal that comes with complicated challenges in terms of human behaviour, consumption, economics and technology. Aligned with this great challenge the white paper also presents a view to support setting up a dedicated national research and innovation programme for sustainable aviation.

Sustainability and Environment

03 February 2021

Flying safely with liquid hydrogen

NLR will demonstrate drone flights fuelled by liquid hydrogen stored in tanks made entirely of composite material – a lightweight solution, with no risk of metal fatigue. With this, NLR is taking the next step towards safe, climate-neutral aviation, contributing to the ambitions of the Dutch ‘Duurzame Luchtvaartakkoord’ (Sustainable Aviation Accord) and the associated ‘Actieprogramma Hybride Elektrisch Vliegen’ (Hybrid Electric Propulsion Action Programme).

Defence and Security

25 January 2021

The Netherlands launches its first military nanosatellite

According to the current planning, Virgin Orbit will launch the first Dutch military nanosatellite to orbit with its upcoming launch mid-March. This satellite is an experimental project which has been set up in a unique collaboration in commission of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). With this launch the Dutch Ministry of Defense (MoD) takes its first steps into the Space domain.

Air Traffic Management

22 January 2021

Europe is testing air taxis and drones for urban mobility

The European project AMU-LED is aiming to demonstrate the safe integration of drones in 2022 into urban environments in the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Various scenarios are being looked at, such as flights using airborne taxis for passenger transport and the use of drones to assist policing and the emergency services.

Air Traffic Management

18 December 2020

Remain Well Clear – drone integration into European airspace

Royal NLR and ISD are performing a multi-year study for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to develop the procedures needed to safely and efficiently integrate Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) into European airspace. The partnership has recently completed a large-scale simulation experiment to test the application of a GA-ASI Detect and Avoid System in the European context.

Safety and Human performance

29 October 2020

Blog: Three challenges for adaptive human-machine interaction

Do you have any idea how stressful it is driving an old timer VW campervan during rush hour in Brussels? Last year, it demanded my total concentration due to the old van’s slow dynamics, relatively poor field of view and the crowded rush hour traffic. Meanwhile, my girlfriend helped navigate us through the complexity of roads. Having arrived at our destination with our heart rates back to ‘normal’, we toasted our excellent team work.

Thermal Control System (TCS) for CubeSats

Construction and Manufacturing

29 October 2020

When the heat is on in space

Increases in power density mean that better thermal control measures are needed for CubeSats. A mechanically pumped loop developed by Royal NLR provides a reliable solution for dissipating the heat produced by the satellite’s electronics. NLR developed a modular modelling application in the space thermal analysis tool ESATAN that demonstrates how this mini pump can be an effective solution.

Sustainability and Environment

07 September 2020

Challenge accepted: Circular Economy in Aviation

For those passionate about aviation, 2020 has been a roller-coaster of emotions. The year started off with seemingly unlimited opportunities for the aviation industry. But within few weeks, due to the spreading of COVID-19, airlines all over the world started to ground aircraft, until reaching a never-before standstill of flights in April and May. Airlines started filing for bankruptcy and retiring iconic aircrafts such as the 747-400, while hoping to recover fast and go back to normal as soon as possible. On the other hand, as aviation was already committed to become a more sustainable industry, many saw this disruption as an opportunity to speed up such transition.

Airplane spotting at Kaagbaan Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Airport Operations

24 July 2020

Blog: Towards a sustainable recovery in aviation

COVID-19 has caused a large negative impact in the aviation industry. In order to minimise the transmission of the virus between countries, borders were closed and transport movements decreased. Air traffic was considerably reduced, leaving the industry with the lowest numbers in operations of the last decade. Cargo and repatriation flights were the main operations conducted during the lock-down. As the world is trying to recover from COVID-19, aviation is recovering too, meaning that the number of flights is increasing again.