4 min read<\/p>\n
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/acd24-0177-008.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nDanah Tommalieh, commercial pilot and engineer at Reliable Robotics, inputs a flight plan at the control center in Mountain View, California, ahead of remotely operating a Cessna 208 aircraft at Hollister municipal airport in Hollister, California.<\/em><\/div>\nNASA\/Don Richey<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nNASA recently began a series of flight tests with partners to answer an important aviation question: What will it take to integrate remotely piloted or autonomous planes carrying large packages and cargo safely into the U.S. airspace? Researchers tested new technologies in Hollister, California, that are helping to investigate what tools and capabilities are needed to make these kinds of flights routine.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The commercial industry continues to make advancements in autonomous aircraft systems aimed at making it possible for remotely operated aircraft to fly over communities \u2013 transforming the way we will transport people and goods. As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) develops standards for this new type of air transportation, NASA is working to ensure these uncrewed flights are safe by creating the required technological tools and infrastructure. These solutions could be scaled to support many different remotely piloted aircraft \u2013 including air taxis and package delivery drones \u2013 in a shared airspace with traditional crewed aircraft.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRemotely piloted aircraft systems could eventually deliver cargo and people to rural areas with limited access to commercial transportation and delivery services,\u201d said Shivanjli Sharma, aerospace engineer at NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center in California\u2019s Silicon Valley. \u201cWe\u2019re aiming to create a healthy ecosystem of many different kinds of remotely piloted operations. They will fly in a shared airspace to provide communities with better access to goods and services, like medical supply deliveries and more efficient transportation.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
During a flight test in November, Reliable Robotics, a company developing an autonomous flight system, remotely flew its Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft through pre-approved flight paths in Hollister, California.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although a safety pilot was aboard, a Reliable Robotics remote pilot directed the flight from their control center in Mountain View, more than 50 miles away.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/acd24-0177-040.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nCockpit of Reliable Robotics\u2019 Cessna 208 aircraft outfitted with autonomous technology for remotely-piloted operations.<\/div>\nNASA\/Brandon Torres Navarrete<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCongressional staffers from the United States House and Senate\u2019s California delegation joined NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Carol Caroll, Ames Aeronautics Director, Huy Tran, and other Ames leadership at Reliable Robotics Headquarters to view the live remote flight.<\/p>\n
Researchers evaluated a Collins Aerospace ground-based surveillance system\u2019s ability to detect nearby air traffic and provide the remote pilot with information in order to stay safely separated from other aircraft in the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Initial analysis shows the ground-based radar actively surveilled the airspace during the aircraft\u2019s taxi, takeoff, and landing. The data was transmitted from the radar system to the remote pilot at Reliable Robotics. In the future, this capability could help ensure aircraft remain safely separated across all phases of fight.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/acd24-0177-037.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nA Reliable Robotics\u2019 modified Cessna 208 aircraft flies near Hollister Airport. A Reliable Robotics pilot operated the aircraft remotely from the control center in Mountain View.<\/div>\nNASA\/Brandon Torres Naverrete<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhile current FAA operating rules require pilots to physically see and avoid other aircraft from inside the cockpit, routine remotely piloted aircraft will require a suite of integrated technologies to avoid hazards and coordinate with other aircraft in the airspace.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
A radar system for ground-based surveillance offers one method for detecting other traffic in the airspace and at the airport, providing one part of the capability to ensure pilots can avoid collision and accomplish their desired missions. Data analysis from this testing will help researchers understand if ground-based surveillance radar can be used to satisfy FAA safety rules for remotely piloted flights.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NASA will provide analysis and reports of this flight test to the FAA and standards bodies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an exciting time for the remotely piloted aviation community,\u201d Sharma said. \u201cAmong other benefits, remote operations could provide better access to healthcare, bolster natural disaster response efforts, and offer more sustainable and effective transportation to both rural and urban communities. We\u2019re thrilled to provide valuable data to the industry and the FAA to help make remote operations a reality in the near future.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the next year, NASA will work with additional aviation partners on test flights and simulations to test weather services, communications systems, and other autonomous capabilities for remotely piloted flights. NASA researchers will analyze data from these tests to provide a comprehensive report to the FAA and the community on what minimum technologies and capabilities are needed to enable and scale remotely piloted operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This flight test data analysis is led out of NASA Ames under the agency\u2019s Air Traffic Management Exploration project<\/a>. This effort supports the agency\u2019s Advanced Air Mobility mission<\/a> research, ensuring the United States stays at the forefront of aviation innovation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShare<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/acd24-0177-008.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>NASA recently began a series of flight tests with partners to answer an important aviation question: What will it take to integrate remotely piloted or autonomous planes carrying large packages and cargo safely into the U.S. airspace? Researchers tested new technologies in Hollister, California, that are helping to investigate what tools and capabilities are needed to make these kinds of flights routine.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The commercial industry continues to make advancements in autonomous aircraft systems aimed at making it possible for remotely operated aircraft to fly over communities \u2013 transforming the way we will transport people and goods. As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) develops standards for this new type of air transportation, NASA is working to ensure these uncrewed flights are safe by creating the required technological tools and infrastructure. These solutions could be scaled to support many different remotely piloted aircraft \u2013 including air taxis and package delivery drones \u2013 in a shared airspace with traditional crewed aircraft.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRemotely piloted aircraft systems could eventually deliver cargo and people to rural areas with limited access to commercial transportation and delivery services,\u201d said Shivanjli Sharma, aerospace engineer at NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center in California\u2019s Silicon Valley. \u201cWe\u2019re aiming to create a healthy ecosystem of many different kinds of remotely piloted operations. They will fly in a shared airspace to provide communities with better access to goods and services, like medical supply deliveries and more efficient transportation.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
During a flight test in November, Reliable Robotics, a company developing an autonomous flight system, remotely flew its Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft through pre-approved flight paths in Hollister, California.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although a safety pilot was aboard, a Reliable Robotics remote pilot directed the flight from their control center in Mountain View, more than 50 miles away.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/figure>Congressional staffers from the United States House and Senate\u2019s California delegation joined NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Carol Caroll, Ames Aeronautics Director, Huy Tran, and other Ames leadership at Reliable Robotics Headquarters to view the live remote flight.<\/p>\n
Researchers evaluated a Collins Aerospace ground-based surveillance system\u2019s ability to detect nearby air traffic and provide the remote pilot with information in order to stay safely separated from other aircraft in the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Initial analysis shows the ground-based radar actively surveilled the airspace during the aircraft\u2019s taxi, takeoff, and landing. The data was transmitted from the radar system to the remote pilot at Reliable Robotics. In the future, this capability could help ensure aircraft remain safely separated across all phases of fight.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/figure>While current FAA operating rules require pilots to physically see and avoid other aircraft from inside the cockpit, routine remotely piloted aircraft will require a suite of integrated technologies to avoid hazards and coordinate with other aircraft in the airspace.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
A radar system for ground-based surveillance offers one method for detecting other traffic in the airspace and at the airport, providing one part of the capability to ensure pilots can avoid collision and accomplish their desired missions. Data analysis from this testing will help researchers understand if ground-based surveillance radar can be used to satisfy FAA safety rules for remotely piloted flights.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NASA will provide analysis and reports of this flight test to the FAA and standards bodies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an exciting time for the remotely piloted aviation community,\u201d Sharma said. \u201cAmong other benefits, remote operations could provide better access to healthcare, bolster natural disaster response efforts, and offer more sustainable and effective transportation to both rural and urban communities. We\u2019re thrilled to provide valuable data to the industry and the FAA to help make remote operations a reality in the near future.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the next year, NASA will work with additional aviation partners on test flights and simulations to test weather services, communications systems, and other autonomous capabilities for remotely piloted flights. NASA researchers will analyze data from these tests to provide a comprehensive report to the FAA and the community on what minimum technologies and capabilities are needed to enable and scale remotely piloted operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This flight test data analysis is led out of NASA Ames under the agency\u2019s Air Traffic Management Exploration project<\/a>. This effort supports the agency\u2019s Advanced Air Mobility mission<\/a> research, ensuring the United States stays at the forefront of aviation innovation.\u00a0<\/p>\nShare<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n