Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR), a number one innovator in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, announced today a major partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The collaboration, established under the NASA Space Act Agreement, goals to make sure U.S. leadership in the subsequent generation of air transportation.
The partnership will begin with an initial project focused on studying high-performance battery cells and conducting safety testing for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and space applications. This project is an element of a broader partnership between Archer and NASA, dedicated to achieving the best levels of battery cell safety and systems.
While the provision chain for electric vehicles within the U.S. is maturing, Archer believes that the provision chain for electric aircraft stays nascent, not only within the U.S., but globally. This testing is anticipated to drive progress on this area. NASA goals to check Archer’s battery cell and system design and share the outcomes to advance the whole AAM industry. The maturation of battery technology is anticipated to be a vital factor for the mass production and adoption of electrical aviation.
Archer plans to deliver a high-performing battery pack with leading safety levels to its Midnight electric air taxi. These cells are tailor-made for aerospace applications, including eVTOL, electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) aircraft, and potential usage in space.
Adam Goldstein, Archer’s Founder and CEO, expressed pride in partnering with NASA, stating, “Many countries around the globe are difficult the U.S. on this recent era of flight and our country is vulnerable to losing its global leadership position unless we work together, government and industry, to make sure we seize the moment and pioneer this recent era of aviation technology, which stands to learn all Americans.”
As a part of the joint efforts around battery characterization, NASA and Archer will give attention to further testing the protection, energy, and power performance capabilities of the battery cells. Tests will probably be performed using the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), some of the advanced high-speed X-ray facilities on the planet, to know how the cells function during extreme abuse cases.
Archer has chosen these cells to power the proprietary electric powertrain system it has designed and developed, and is starting to mass manufacture for its production electric air taxi, Midnight. The battery cell form factor chosen by Archer, a cylindrical cell, has a track record of safety, performance, and scalability proven through many years of volume manufacturing, deployed across many applications globally, including in thousands and thousands of electrical vehicles.
Advanced Air Mobility guarantees to offer substantial public advantages to our communities, including transforming how urban and rural communities live and commute by maximizing mobility, bolstering cargo and logistics options, and creating pathways to manufacturing jobs and other ladders of social and economic opportunity. Designing, developing, and mass-producing batteries and electric motors which are purpose-built for electric aircraft are core to unlocking this potential.
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