NASA (National Aeronautic Space Administration) worked with 11 research groups to test two synthetic fuels derived from natural gas and gasified coal. These gases were extracted using the Fischer Tropsch process. The research groups involved in this project included the US Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

These tests are being conducted at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in California. The main point of the research is to test the emission levels and performance of both alternative fuels.

It has previously been studied that synthetic fuels emit fewer harmful particles compared to standard jet fuel. This research, aside from looking into alternative jet fuels once Petroleum runs out, also considers environmental factors.

NASA also reports that this is the first time that they’re testing 100% and 50% blends. Previous tests on alternative jet fuels have been spent on blends with lower natural gas content.

The NASA tests are being run on DC-8. This engine was chosen because its performance is well documented and understood by the team. Other tests on synthetic fuels have been conducted by other companies, but none of the results have been published.

This NASA research results, on the other hand, will be put on public domain very soon. These tests are funded by the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program.