Slideshow: The Airplanes Of The Future

January 27, 2011

NASA contracted with Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman to imagine aircraft that could replace the current fleet, which hasn't seen a significant makeover since the 1950s.

The assignment? Design a plane that can:

Fly 7,000 miles without refueling
Carry a payload of 50 to 100 thousand pounds worth of passengers or cargo
Be able to reach 80 percent the speed of sound - that's about 540 miles per hour
Be ready to fly by 2025

This segment aired on January 27, 2011. The audio for this segment is not available.