Archer Aviation, NASA join forces for mission-critical eVTOL aircraft technologies

Archer Aviation, a Santa Clara-based leading developer of electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for use in urban air mobility, has signed a Space Act Agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The collaboration is part of a broader partnership between Archer and NASA focused on achieving the highest levels of battery cell safety and systems for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and space applications. In the initial project, Archer Aviation and NASA will study high-performance battery cells and perform safety testing on cells and systems. The collaboration aims to test Archer's battery system designs for its Midnight aircraft while sharing specific results to advance the entire AAM industry.

"We're extremely proud to partner with NASA, who has pioneered the eVTOL industry over the last 3+ decades, in support of our collective mission to ensure U.S. leadership in aerospace continues for decades to come," said Adam Goldstein, Archer's Founder and CEO.

"Many countries around the world are challenging the U.S. 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, which stands to benefit all Americans."

The collaboration around battery characterization will include NASA and Archer testing the battery cells' safety, energy, and power performance capabilities. Tests will be performed using one of the world's most advanced high-speed X-ray facilities, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), to understand how the cells function during extreme abuse cases, Archer said in an official release.