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AIAA Identifies Top Technologies Transforming Aerospace

AIAA

Thu, February 19, 2026 at 3:49 AM GMT+9 3 min read

AIAA

Survey of 700+ Aerospace Experts Names Ten Technologies Shaping the Future

RESTON, Va., Feb. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Ten technologies will fundamentally reshape aerospace operations, manufacturing, and services over the next two decades according to a debut report released today by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the world’s largest aerospace technical society.

The report, “Technologies Transforming Aerospace,” captures insights from AIAA’s global community of aerospace professionals, identifying the leading technologies disrupting the status quo in aviation and space.

The survey of more than 700 aerospace experts, combined with in-depth interviews of nearly two dozen senior technology leaders in industry, academia, and government, defined the top technologies that will shape aeronautics and space by 2045. AIAA partnered with BryceTech, an analytics and engineering firm, to conduct the survey and rank the technologies based on their impacts, feasibility, use cases, and potential barriers.

“Aerospace has reached a technological inflection point,” said Clay Mowry, AIAA CEO. “The technologies highlighted in this report will permeate the aerospace supply chain over the next 20 years, increasing efficiency, enabling mobility, and transforming exploration. The signal is clear: the next aerospace era is here, and AIAA’s engineering community is equipped to shape the future using advanced computing, materials, and propulsion technologies.”

Top 10 Technologies Transforming Aerospace
(in alphabetical order)

**AI-Aided Advanced Design and Engineering**

**Alternative Aviation Fuels**

**Electric Aircraft**

**Fully Reusable Launch**

**High-Temperature Materials**

**Hypersonic Propulsion**

**In-Space Manufacturing**

**Pilotless Aircraft**

**Quantum Computing and Sensing**

**Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion**

“What makes this forecast powerful is the scale of the signal,” said Carissa Christensen, CEO of BryceTech. “Based on the depth of the data, we’re seeing convergence across the aerospace community on the technologies that will define the next era. This roadmap is built on the collective expertise of the people who will make future innovations real.”

Technologies That Just Missed the Cut
The forecast also identified several technologies that narrowly missed the top 10 but remain significant areas of development: collaborative autonomous systems, direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communications, functional materials with adaptive properties, large-scale additive manufacturing of aerospace structures, novel aerodynamic designs (including blended wing body and truss-braced wing aircraft), and on-orbit refueling systems.

Story Continues  

The report is available for immediate download at aiaa.org/resources/technologies-transforming-aerospace-report.

A webinar providing detailed insights is planned for Noon ET, Monday, 2 March. Registration is free.

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, RebeccaG@AIAA.org, 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With over 33,000 members from 91 countries, and more than 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

About BryceTech
BryceTech is an engineering and analytics firm serving government and commercial clients in complex technology domains. BryceTech is internationally recognized for its objective, evidence-based analytic and strategic support, as well as for its authoritative data sets characterizing the aerospace industry. BryceTech expertise includes modeling demand, forecasting space activity, technology scouting, and policy and economic analysis. For more information, visit brycetech.com.

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