Archer Aviation has partnered with NASA to advance electric aviation, focusing on a project to study high-performance batteries for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and space applications.
NASA will test the battery design developed for the Archer Midnight eVTOL aircraft. The collaboration will examine the battery’s safety and performance using advanced X-ray facilities. The partnership will also consider potential space applications of Archer’s high-performing battery pack.
Archer believes the global supply chain for electric aircraft is still developing, and this collaboration aims to speed things up.
“Many countries around the world are challenging the US in this new era of flight and our country is at risk of losing its global leadership position unless we work together, government and industry, to ensure we seize the moment and pioneer this new era of aviation technology,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s Founder and CEO.
Archer’s eVTOL aircraft, Midnight, is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time in between flights.
The California-based company aims to transform urban travel, replacing 60- to 90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10- to 20-minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low noise, and cost-competitive with ground transportation.
The United States Air Force is also considering the potential military applications of the Midnight aircraft.