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JAXA Aviation helps to create a safer and more prosperous society with aeronautics-related research and development activities.

FLIGHT PATH No.22 | 2018 WINTER

<JAXA Aeronautics Symposium 2018>

Solid technology to society, "wow" creation for future

JAXA Aeronautics Symposium 2018
Hisashi Sano

SANO Hisashi
Vice President of JAXA
Director General of Aviation Technology Directorate

The JAXA Aeronautics Symposium 2018 was held in Tokyo on October 3, 2018. As the fiscal year 2018 marks the beginning of JAXA's fourth mid-to-long-term plan, the symposium introduced an overview of our seven-year R&D plan in the aviation field.

At the symposium, SANO Hisashi, Vice President of JAXA and Director General of the Aviation Technology Directorate, explained our challenges in this fourth plan using two key phrases. The first one is "Solid technology," meaning refined and superior-quality technology. "What we've been accumulating over years have modest but significant value. We will continue to research such technology." He also touched upon the other key phrase, "wow" creations, saying "We hope to additionally have more inspiring research themes that can be breathtaking, leading people to say ‘Wow!'"

Boeing and Airbus talk about expectations for JAXA

During the symposium, we had two special lectures by Dr. Naveed Hussain of The Boeing Company and Ms. Lucie Ravelojaona of Airbus. They spoke about how we can create the future of aeronautics using new technologies.

Dr. Hussain covered Boeing's recent collaboration with us. In JAXA's SafeAvio project (R&D of onboard safety avionics technology to prevent turbulence-induced aircraft accidents), JAXA developed technology to detect clear-air turbulence that a radar cannot identify using LIDAR (the Light Detection and Ranging laser detection system). This SafeAvio clear-air turbulence detection system was tested at the ecoDemonstrator program 2018 at Boeing. In his lecture, he explained the test itself and its significance.

The lecture by Ms. Ravelojaona introduced Airbus's approach to electrification. Recently, the electrification of aircraft has been boosting people's expectations. JAXA launched the "Electrification Challenge for Aircraft (ECLAIR) Consortium" in July 2018. Similar movements are also active overseas. Her lecture covered the latest insights of exactly such movements.

JAXA Aeronautics Symposium 2018

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