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Steven Barrett

Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Steven Barrett is the Raymond L. Bisplinghoff Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the Director of the Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment and leads the MIT Electric Aircraft Initiative. Steven is also a Visiting Professor at University College London. From 2012 to 2015 he was Associate Director of the Partnership for Air Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction (PARTNER) — a 12 university Center of Excellence sponsored by FAA, NASA, DOD, EPA and Transport Canada, with participants from 50 industry and government organizations. Before joining MIT in 2010 he was a university lecturer at Cambridge University, where he completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in aerospace engineering.

The main goal of Steven’s research is to advance understanding of the environmental impacts of aviation, and to develop technological, fuel-based and regulatory strategies to mitigate these impacts. His research includes work to improve understanding of the climate impacts of aviation emissions, assess the environmental and economic feasibility of biofuels, develop and evaluate electric aircraft propulsion technologies, and quantify the air pollution impacts of ground transportation. He has written approximately 70 archival journal publications and is current or former supervisor of more than 40 graduate theses. Steven’s current teaching at MIT includes the undergraduate jet and rocket propulsion course, and a graduate-level course on aerospace, energy, and the environment. He has contributed to STEM outreach activities since 2003.

The secondhand smoke you're breathing may have come from another state

Feb 13, 2020 00:07 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

Scientists estimate that each year in the U.S., outdoor air pollution shortens the lives of about 100,000 people by one to two decades. As it turns out, much of this pollution originates not in a persons own...

Inspired by sci-fi, an airplane with no moving parts and a blue ionic glow

Nov 26, 2018 16:59 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

Since their invention more than 100 years ago, airplanes have been moved through the air by the spinning surfaces of propellers or turbines. But watching science fiction movies like the Star Wars, Star Trek and Back to the...

Economy

Viksit Bharat 2026: Fiscal Muscle, Factory Revival, and the War on Speculation

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans Union Budget 202627 pursues the Viksit Bharat vision vigorously by combining severe fiscal discipline with a huge growth push. Driven by a 7% GDP growth objective and a lowered fiscal...

IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient

Global inflation is expected to continue its downward trend over the coming years, according to new projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF estimates that global inflation will fall to 3.8% this...

EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects

Across Spains olive groves and vineyards, sensors and drones funded by the European Unions massive post-pandemic recovery plan are collecting soil data to power AI-driven farming. These projects reflect the core ambition...

JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand

JPMorgan has raised its year-end 2026 gold price forecast to an ambitious $6,300 per ounce, reinforcing its bullish outlook on the precious metal despite recent market volatility. The bank points to sustained and...

Philippines Manufacturing PMI Hits Nine-Month High Despite Weak Confidence Outlook

The Philippines manufacturing sector showed a notable rebound at the start of the year, as the SP Global Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) climbed to a nine-month high of 52.9 in January, up from...

Politics

Medvedev Warns World Is Growing More Dangerous but Says Russia Seeks to Avoid Global Conflict

Dmitry Medvedev, Russias deputy chairman of the Security Council and a senior Kremlin security official, has warned that the global situation is becoming increasingly dangerous, while stressing that Russia does not want a...

Laura Fernandez Set to Become Costa Rica’s Next President, Promising Sweeping Political Change

Laura Fernandez is poised to become Costa Ricas next president, marking a significant political shift as she pledges to continue and deepen the populist agenda of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves. Her victory signals a...

Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry

British Prime Minister Keir Starmers recent visit to China underscores the complex balancing act Western middle powers are attempting as rivalry between Beijing and Washington intensifies. While the trip allowed China to...

Peter Mandelson Resigns from Labour Party Amid Renewed Jeffrey Epstein Links

Former British government minister Peter Mandelson has resigned from Prime Minister Keir Starmers Labour Party following renewed media scrutiny over his past connections to disgraced U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein. The...

Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns

Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is poised for a decisive victory in the upcoming lower house election, according to a new opinion poll released by the Asahi newspaper....

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Jensen Huang Urges Taiwan Suppliers to Boost AI Chip Production Amid Surging Demand

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang praised and gently pushed Taiwans leading technology suppliers to ramp up production, highlighting the intense global demand for artificial intelligence hardware during a high-profile visit to the...

Oracle Plans $45–$50 Billion Funding Push in 2026 to Expand Cloud and AI Infrastructure

Oracle has announced plans to raise between $45 billion and $50 billion in 2026 as it accelerates the expansion of its cloud infrastructure to meet surging demand from major technology and artificial intelligence clients....

Elon Musk’s Empire: SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI Merger Talks Spark Investor Debate

Speculation around a potential Musk Inc has resurfaced as Elon Musks companiesSpaceX, Tesla, and xAIexplore closer ties amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence and automation. With SpaceX expected to go public later...

SpaceX Reports $8 Billion Profit as IPO Plans and Starlink Growth Fuel Valuation Buzz

SpaceX delivered a strong financial performance last year, generating an estimated $8 billion in profit on revenues between $15 billion and $16 billion, according to people familiar with the companys results. The figures,...

SpaceX Updates Starlink Privacy Policy to Allow AI Training as xAI Merger Talks and IPO Loom

SpaceX has revised its Starlink privacy policy to allow customer data to be used for artificial intelligence training, a move that could significantly support Elon Musks broader AI ambitions. The policy change comes as...