DLR Study Finds Sustainable Aviation Fuel Can Reduce Contrails
Cleaner-burning jet fuels made from sustainable sources can produce 50%-70% fewer ice crystal contrails at cruising altitude, reducing aviation’s impact on the environment, according to research conducted by NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
Ice crystal contrail formations can linger in the upper atmosphere for hours and affect the way Earth is heated and cooled. They produce localized increases in temperature – which over time impacts climate change.
“We know that contrail formation from jet exhaust has a larger, more immediate impact on climate than carbon dioxide emissions,” said Richard Moore, a NASA scientist at Langley Research Center in Virginia. “This research shows we have an opportunity using alternative fuels to make immediate changes that could help the planet.”
Read the full article at: www.nasa.gov
