NIAR to research high-temperature materials for NASA

Wil Day
·1 min read

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The National Institute for Aviation Research is receiving over $10 million to help develop, test and implement advanced materials for hypersonic vehicles.

NIAR will work to help create and test structural materials and thermal protection systems that can withstand the extreme temperatures produced by hypersonic speeds. Wichita State says the new research program will require the purchase of new equipment that can design, fabricate and test the new materials.

The university says it will complement the existing resources available through Wichita’s National Defense Prototype Center (NDPC), a collaboration between NIAR and Spirit AeroSystems.

“Our collaboration with NASA Aeronautics will continue to advance through the Hypersonics Technology Project, focusing on sustaining hypersonic competency for national needs while advancing applied hypersonic research,” said John Tomblin, WSU senior vice president for Industry and Defense Programs and NIAR executive director in a news release. “We are fortunate to have the unwavering support of Senator Moran to expand this collaboration with NASA and key representatives in the industry.”

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Senator Jerry Moran, who serves as vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, requested NASA provide funding for the program.

“The National Institute for Aviation Research plays an important role in the advancement of hypersonic capabilities,” said Moran. “Over the past several years, I have been working to grow NASA’s footprint in Kansas, including hosting the NASA Administrator and several NASA leaders in Wichita. I worked to secure these resources from NASA to continue to build on this work and bring more exciting space and aerospace jobs and opportunities to our state.”

For more about the National Institute for Aviation Research, click here.

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