October 27, 2023
Can we create a sustainable future for aeronautics?
Commander Chris Hadfield tells audience at the Sustainable Aeronautics Summit that we have the capacity to solve this problem
“If you actually want to do something, you have to change who you are,” said Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station.
Hadfield was speaking about the personal growth and work he put into becoming a decorated astronaut, but he was also referring to the change and innovation we need to preserve the future of our planet.
Hadfield was addressing an audience of more than 200 high school and post-secondary students, academics and industry professionals at the Sustainable Aeronautics Summit hosted by the University’s Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA).
He told the crowd that technology advancements have “radically changed” in our lifetime and have enabled more people on Earth to have longer, better-quality lives. This innovation can also allow our planet, and everyone on it, to thrive if we choose to focus our attention there.
“It takes people who are excited about the future and who are dissatisfied about what’s happening now,” Hadfield said. He pointed to some examples of innovation happening in Canadian aviation today including new human powered helicopters and electric planes like the Velis Electro that WISA researchers are testing.
It’s still early days and more needs to be done to scale this technology, but Hadfield is hopeful and envisions a future for aviation that does not include fossil fuel. Hadfield credited WISA for being part of this effort — to not be satisfied with the current state and to visualize a more sustainable aeronautics sector.
“When I was born, no one had yet flown in space,” he says. The future is ours to define if we decide to change. “There is nothing stopping us from solving this [fossil fuel] problem.”
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What is sustainable aeronautics?
Sustainable aeronautics encompasses aviation, aerospace and space exploration, where innovative solutions and practices are creating a viable future for air transport.
“We think of the word sustainability as meaning environmental impacts and that is an essential pillar. But when you take it from a broader perspective, sustainability is long term viability. It’s a focus on the future,” said Dr. Suzanne Kearns, the founding director of WISA.
Kerns says that sustainability has three pillars of equal importance: social, environmental and economic. “Our research and innovation address all three pillars, and the interconnections between them, to create meaningful, long-term solutions.”
This interconnectedness was reflected throughout the Sustainable Aeronautics Summit with panels ranging from workforce sustainability at the intersections of equity and inclusive workspaces, to economic sustainability at the intersections of adopting innovation and advanced manufacturing practices.
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Kerns says that aviation can be a force for good, adding, “We need to optimize the social and economic benefits of our industry and not shy away from addressing the real environmental impact of aviation.”
