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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2016

Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) Concept of Operations

Many applications of small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) have been envisioned. These include surveillance of key assets such as pipelines, rail, or electric wires, deliveries, search and rescue, traffic monitoring, videography, and precision agriculture. These operations are likely to occur in the same airspace in presence of many static and dynamic constraints such as airports, and high wind areas. Therefore, small UAS, typically 55 pounds and below, operations need to be managed to ensure safety and efficiency of operations is maintained. This paper will describe the Concept of Operations (ConOps) for NASA's UAS Traffic Management (UTM) research initiative. The UTM ConOps is focused on safely enabling large-scale small UAS (sUAS) operations in low altitude airspace. The UTM construct supports large-scale visual line of sight and beyond visual line of sight operations. It is based on two primary mantras: (1) flexibility where possible and structure where necessary (2) a risk-based approach where geographical needs and use case indicate the airspace performance requirements. Preliminary stakeholder feedback and initial UTM tests conducted by NASA show promise of UTM to enable large-scale low altitude UAS operations safely.

autonomy↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

HAT m:N Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA)

This Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) study was designed to understand the capability of the m:N Tactical Operator (TO) interfaces developed by the Human-Autonomy Teaming Laboratory at NASA Ames to support operators responsible for simplified pilot operations of 100 independently operated small UAS (sUAS) in a constrained geographic area. The m:N sUAS TO interface includes a central Tactical Situation Display (TSD) digital map with moving icons reflecting the sUAS location and planned flight route. The interface also has two side panels. The left panel includes a tabular list of UAS assets and mission tasking, a list of recently viewed assets, and a list of events and alerts. The right panel includes a tabular list of UAS assets and their associated telemetry, text-based chat communication window, and a tabbed checklist window. This CTA was adapted from the incident-based applied cognitive task analysis (Militello & Hutton, 1998) and included demographics questions, scenario-based simulations, a task diagram and knowledge audit methods. In addition to examining the support provided by this m:N sUAS TO interface, this CTA study, conducted with aviation subject matter experts in analogous roles to the future tactical operator, was designed to illuminate and project likely cognitive requirements of the tactical operator. Interviewees participated in two scenario-based simulations using the m:N sUAS TO interfaces. In the first simulation, the interviewees supervised 12 sUAS operating in downtown San Diego, California transiting to and from a central sUAS Hive, restaurant locations, and customer drop off locations. Interviewees were asked to react to a UAS Volume Reservation (UVR) event with a two-phase impact on food delivery operations. In the second scenario, the interviewees supervised 100 sUAS operating in the same airspace and with the same mission. Interviewees used the interfaces to recognize and react to two sUAS air vehicle problems. After each scenario, we asked the interviewees a semi-structured list of questions to elicit their reflections about using the interfaces. Interviewees were confident in their ability to respond to two off-nominal situations in each simulation. Interviewees felt that, given high levels of automation on the sUAS, they would be able to manage the events without requiring additional support or handing off the sUAS to a colleague or supervisor in both the n=12 or n=100 sUAS settings. In the n=12 sUAS condition, interviewees used the center map to understand the asset location and progress along with mission tasking. An additional display window, Asset Telemetry, helped interviewees understand battery state and sUAS altitude. When the number of sUAS increased, interviewees altered their behavior. Rather than maintaining awareness of individual assets, interviewees appeared to become more reactive, managing exceptions. Interviewees reported that they spent less time looking at the nominal aircraft, and focused their attention primarily on the off-nominal aircraft. In addition, in the second simulation with n=100 sUAS, interviewees reported that they relied more on the side panels (Mission Timeline and Asset Telemetry) to gather information.

human-autonomy teaming↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of NASA’s Extensible Traffic Management (xTM) Work

NASA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) project introduced a new Air Traffic Management (ATM) architecture that utilizes industry’s ability to supply industry-developed, third-party services that work complementarily with the FAA-provided Air Traffic Service (ATS) to exchange relevant air vehicle information among the UAS operations and between the UTM and the conventional ATM system. The UTM architecture was used to successfully demonstrate the feasibility of safe, efficient, and scalable small UAS operations in low altitudes below 400 feet above ground level. Following the success and adoption of UTM architecture, the foundational UTM requirements and core properties were generalized to become Extensible Traffic Management (xTM) requirements to support operations of new entrants beyond small UAS, such as operations in high altitudes over 60,000 feet, designated as upper Class E in the United States National Airspace System (NAS). In this paper, the generalization of UTM to xTM and NASA’s approach for developing an xTM system for upper Class E Traffic Management (ETM) are discussed. The paper also discusses the planned research to examine the potential xTM-Air Traffic Control (ATC) interactions across multiple xTM systems and identify common coordination procedures, ATC roles/responsibilities, and data exchange requirements. This work is one of the steps for improving interoperability between the xTM systems and ATS, which is critical for safe and efficient sharing of the airspace among the new entrants served by the xTM systems and conventional ATS-serviced operations.

air traffic management↗
NASA NTRS2022

m:N Working Group

On November 29th and 30th, 2022, the m:N UAS working group and its subgroups [small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), Large UAS, High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS), and Urban Air Mobility (UAM)] met at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA for an in person meeting. The option to dial in remotely and use Conference.IO to engage with questions was offered as well. The subgroups meet multiple times throughout the year, virtually. Twice a year however, participants from all the subgroups come together to brief each other on progress, challenges, and path forward ideas for incorporating UAS into the airspace. The m:N UAS working group is run by Jay Shively (Adaptive Aerospace) and Andy Thurling (Thurling Aero Consulting) and is comprised of members from government, industry, and academia in an effort to identify and reduce barriers to m:N operations. This effort also includes identifying requirements, use cases, and metrics to support organizations and groups including the FAA and RTCA’s SC-228 Detect and Avoid. Each subgroup is run by a government/industry team.

multi-vehicle↗
NASA NTRS2023

m:N Working Group Annual Status Report

This document serves as an annual report of m:N Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) subgroup activities, addressed challenges, and roadmaps for the future. The subgroups consist of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), Large UAS, High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS), and Urban Air Mobility (UAM). Also included in this report are participant lists for each subgroup (Appendix B) and future roadmap and outreach plans.The subgroups meet in a virtual format multiple times throughout the year. Twice a year, participants from all the subgroups come together as part of the m:N working group to brief each other in person on progress, challenges, and path forward ideas for successful incorporation of UAS into the airspace. Recent m:N in person meetings include: - November 29-30, 2022 at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA - May 9 & 11, 2023 at AUVSI’s Xponential conference in Denver, CO - The next in person working group meeting is planned for November 28-30, 2023 at NASA Langley in Hampton, Virginia The m:N UAS working group is run by Jay Shively (Adaptive Aerospace) and Andy Thurling (Thurling Aero Consulting) and is comprised of members from government, industry, and academia in an effort to identify and reduce barriers to m:N operations. This effort also includes identifying requirements, use cases, and metrics to support organizations and groups including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA’s) SC-228 Detect and Avoid committee.

multi-vehicle↗
NASA NTRS2024

m:N Working Group: Meeting Summary March 2024

From March 26th to 28th, 2024 the m:N UAS working group and its subgroups (Evaluation Methodologies, Exceptions/Interventions, and Initial Operating Capability for Airspace Integration) met at SAIC in Washington, D.C. for an in-person meeting. The subgroups meet virtually throughout the year, and twice a year participants from all the subgroups come together to further identify and discuss challenges and paths forward for incorporating UAS into the airspace. The m:N UAS working group is run by Jay Shively (Adaptive Aerospace) and Andy Thurling (DroneUp) and is comprised of members from government, industry, and academia in an effort to identify and reduce barriers to m:N operations. This includes identifying requirements, use cases, metrics, and the development of white papers to support organizations including the FAA, RTCA, and ASTM. A change from last year, the Large UAS and HAPS sub working groups have disbanded while the sUAS working group continues independently, currently working on a white paper titled Personnel Selection, Roles, and Training for sUAS. For 2024 the m:N sub working groups have been refocused to cover evaluation methodologies, interventions/exceptions, and initial operating capability for airspace integration; with the premise that the outcomes from these subgroups will be white papers. These white papers can inform one another to ultimately become a master whitepaper. Each subgroup lead is called out below: Evaluation Methodologies Subgroup Jay Shively, Adaptive Aerospace Interventions/Exceptions Subgroup Andy Thurling, DroneUp (Lead) Initial Operating Capability for Airspace Integration Subgroup Andy Lacher, NASA (Lead)

m:N operations↗
DOE OSTI2021

Assimilation of a Coordinated Fleet of Uncrewed Aircraft System Observations in Complex Terrain: EnKF System Design and Preliminary Assessment

Abstract Uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) observations collected during the 2018 Lower Atmospheric Process Studies at Elevation—a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Team Experiment (LAPSE-RATE) field campaign were assimilated into a high-resolution configuration of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model using an ensemble Kalman filter. The benefit of UAS observations was assessed for a terrain-driven (drainage and upvalley) flow event that occurred within Colorado’s San Luis Valley (SLV) using independent observations. The analysis and prediction of the strength, depth, and horizontal extent of drainage flow from the Saguache Canyon and the subsequent transition to upvalley and up-canyon flow were improved relative to that obtained both without data assimilation (benchmark) and when only surface observations were assimilated. Assimilation of UAS observations greatly improved the analyses of vertical variations in temperature, relative humidity, and winds at multiple locations in the northern portion of the SLV, with reductions in both bias and the root-mean-square error of roughly 40% for each variable relative to the benchmark run. Despite these noted improvements, some biases remain that were tied to measurement error and/or the impact of the boundary layer parameterization on vertically spreading the observations, both of which require further exploration. The results presented here highlight how observations obtained with a fleet of profiling UAS improve limited-area, high-resolution analyses and short-term forecasts in complex terrain.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Safe Urban Harvests Study: A Community-Driven Cross-Sectional Assessment of Metals in Soil, Irrigation Water, and Produce from Urban Farms and Gardens in Baltimore, Maryland

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests social, health, environmental, and economic benefits of urban agriculture (UA). However, limited work has characterized the risks from metal contaminant exposures faced by urban growers and consumers of urban-grown produce. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to answer community-driven questions about the safety of UA and the consumption of urban-grown produce by measuring concentrations of nine metals in the soil, irrigation water, and urban-grown produce across urban farms and gardens in Baltimore, Maryland. METHODS: We measured concentrations of 6 nonessential [arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni)] and three essential [copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn)] metals in soil, irrigation water, and 13 types of urban-grown produce collected from 104 UA sites. We compared measured concentrations to existing public health guidelines and analyzed relationships between urban soil and produce concentrations. In the absence of guidelines for metals in produce, we compared metals concentrations in urban-grown produce with those in produce purchased from farmers markets and grocery stores (both conventionally grown and U.S. Department of Agriculture–certified organic). RESULTS: Mean concentrations of all measured metals in irrigation water were below public health guidelines. Mean concentrations of nonessential metals in growing area soils were below public health guidelines for Ba, Cd, Pb, and Ni and at or below background for As and Cr. Though we observed a few statistically significant differences in concentrations between urban and nonurban produce items for some combinations, no consistent or discernable patterns emerged. DISCUSSION: Screening soils for heavy metals is a critical best practice for urban growers. Given limitations in existing public health guidelines for metals in soil, irrigation water, and produce, additional exposure assessment is necessary to quantify potential human health risks associated with exposure to nonessential metals when engaging in UA and consuming urban-grown produce. Conversely, the potential health benefits of consuming essential metals in urban-grown produce also merit further research. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9431

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (CUAS) Implementation Storyline

This report is an FY21 Deliverable for NA-21.1, International Nuclear Security, WBS 21.1.1.1.4 Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS), under C.1.4, Develop Suite of Engagement Materials and Tools for Country/Regional Teams. The responsibility for protecting nuclear assets is an immense challenge for governments. Policy changes based on geopolitics, instability of government regimes, and technological advances that facilitate theft of nuclear material all contribute to the enduring task of staying current with these and other threats. One of the recent threats to come along is the use of drones or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to circumvent traditional Physical Security Systems. There are significant resources invested on physical protection systems for securing nuclear assets, but many of these systems can now be bypassed by simply flying over these measures intended to guard against ground attacks. In recent years the threat increased to hostile groups to attack or surveil due to advances and availability of UAS platforms. It is now more urgent to implement systems and procedures to counter the UAS threat. The United States (U.S.) federal government granted authority to the Department of Energy (DOE) to implement a Counter UAS to protect nuclear assets. This document provides a very practical and transparent view of the trials, tribulations and challenges we encountered while implementing the first Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (CUAS) Program in the DOE at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2020

Assessing the Vulnerability of Unmanned Aircraft Systems to Directed Acoustic Energy

The increasingly large payloads of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) are exponentially increasing the threat to the nuclear enterprise. Current mitigation using RF interference is effective, but not feasible for fully autonomous systems and is prohibited in many areas. A new approach to UAS threat mitigation is needed that does not create radio interference but is effective against any type of vehicle. At the present time there is no commercial counter-UAS system that directly assaults the mems gyros and accelerometers in the Inertial Measurement Unit on the aircraft. But lab testing has revealed resonances in some IMUs that make them susceptible to moderate amplitude acoustic monotones. Sandia's energetic materials facility has enabled a quick and thorough exploration of UAS vulnerability to directed acoustic energy by using intense acoustic impulses to destabilize or down a UAS. We have: 1) detonated/deflagrated explosive charges of various sizes; 2) accurately measured impulse pressure and pulse duration; 3) determined what magnitude of acoustic insult to the IMU disrupts flight and for how long and; 4) determined if the air blast/shock wave on aircraft/propellers disrupts flight.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

MAPSTER: Automated Geospatial Data Sharing – Version 1.4.0

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) developed MAPSTER which is a geospatial data management tool that aggregates, organizes, and shares data from dispersed sources such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Built specifically for use in environments where communications may be limited, MAPSTER utilizes two key technologies to effectively manage data in the field and enable easy data sharing with authorized partners: Observer and Checkpoint. Observer is a lightweight software package on an edge device, such as a laptop, that automatically detects newly processed UAS data and sends to a central server called Checkpoint. Checkpoint is a centralized server at ORNL that receives and manages data from all Observer instances. Even in a very low bandwidth environment, Observer can still send information about the UAS data product almost instantly as it generates its own metadata package on the size of KB (kilobytes). MAPSTER is not only for UAS data but for any geospatial data collected at the austere edge and dispersed sources.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

CHELAX-BNF: Fast Response Temperature by airborne measurements

The original data were collected on board the ARM Aerial Facility ArcticShark uncrewed aerial system (UAS; https://www.arm.gov/capabilities/observatories/aaf/uas ) during the “Characterizing HEterogeneous Land-Atmosphere eXchanges at BNF” field campaign (CHEAX-BNF; https://arm.gov/research/campaigns/aaf2025CHELAX-BNF ). The ARM Aerial Facility ArcticShark UAS was based at the public-use airport of Posey Field, AL (FAA LID: 1M4, 34.28027778° N, 87.60055556° W, 283m MSL) from May 28 to June 23, 2025. The ArcticShark UAS performed 5 flights, including 4 research flights over the BNF Main Site (ARM Mobile Facility 3, https://arm.gov/capabilities/observatories/amf ) and Supplemental Facilities to measure atmospheric state, turbulence, surface IR temperature and imagery, aerosol number concentration, and aerosol size distribution. The current data set presents fast response temperature in the atmospheric boundary layer and lower free troposphere measured on the airborne platform throughout the field campaign. The primary instruments used to create the current data set were the fine wire thermocouple probe, the Aircraft Integrated Meteorological Measurement System (AIMMS-30), the Pitot-static system (part of UAS flight control), and the infrared gas analyzer sensor for H2O and CO2 (LI-840). All parameters used in temperature calculations (static pressure, True Air Speed, and absolute humidity in the form of dew point temperature) were included in the data set. For user convenience, one additional parameter was also included: the type of flight flag (level, up, down, turn, and combination of thereof).

Air temperature, fast response↗
NASA NTRS2003

Status Report and Lessons Learned from the Univ. of Arizona NMSD

We will present the latest generation of space mirror technology being developed at the Univ. of Arizona (UA). Unlike conventional monolithic mirrors, the UA mirrors are completely active in their operation. This allows greater flexibility in the mass, volume and performance specifications. The UA mirror design uses a thin flexible substrate for the optical surface and an actuated lightweight structure for surface accuracy and support. We provide an update on the UA NGST Mirror System Demonstrator (NMSD). The 2-m, f/5 NMSD mirror uses a 2 mm thick glass substrate and weighs 86 pounds. We review the mirror's design, discuss the mythology schemes used to actuate the figure, and present a list of the lessons learned.

Baiocchi, Dave↗
NASA NTRS2005

Work Package 5: Contingency Management. Mission Planning Requirements Document: Preliminary Version. Revision A

The purpose of this document is to identify the general flight/mission planning requirements for same-day file-and-fly access to the NAS for both civil and military High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). Currently the scope of this document is limited to Step 1, operations above flight level 43,000 feet (FL430). This document describes the current applicable mission planning requirements and procedures for both manned and unmanned aircraft and addresses HALE UAS flight planning considerations in the future National Airspace System (NAS). It also discusses the unique performance and operational capabilities of HALE UAS associated with the Access 5 Project, presents some of the projected performance characteristics and conceptual missions for future systems, and provides detailed analysis of the recommended mission planning elements for operating HALE UAS in the NAS.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2008

Recent NASA Dryden COA Experience

This viewgraph presentation concerns the experience that Dryden has had with Certificate of Authorization (COA) in reference to unmanned aerial systems (UAS). It reviews recent Certificate of Authorization UAS's i.e., 2005 Altair NOAA Mission, 2006 Altair Western States Fire Mission, and 2007 Ikhana. The priorities for the safety process is reviewed, as are typical UAS hazards. Slides also review the common COA provisions, best practices and lessons learned, the 2005 NOAA/NASA Science Demonstration Flights and the use of the UAS systems during fire emergencies.

Cobleigh, Brent↗
NASA NTRS2008

2007 Western States Fire Mission

A general overview of the Ikhana Uninhabited Air System (UAS) is presented. The contents include: 1) Ikhana UAS; 2) Ikhana UAS / Ground Control Station (GCS); 3) Ikhana UAS / Antennas; 4) Western States Fire Mission 2007 Partners; 5) FAA Certificate of Authorization (COA); 6) Western States Fire Missions (WSFM) 2007; 7) WSFM 1-4 2007; 8) California Wildfire Emergency Response 2007; 9) WSFM 5-8 Emergency Response 2007; 10) WSFM Achievements; and 11) WSFM Challenges.

Howell, Kathleen↗
NASA NTRS2010

Integrated Tests and Evaluations

NASA has developed a project plan to address issues related to UAS access to the NAS The plan is being formulated with inputs from our stakeholders. NASA will work with our stakeholders to develop ConOps and a national roadmap to determine key research technologies and policy issues to enable UAS access to the NAS. NASA will use ConOps and roadmap to either validate current NASA research investment areas and make any necessary changes to proposed UAS research portfolio. NASA will conduct integration and testing of key research areas to enable UAS access to the NAS. Use phase I to do detailed test planning for phase II Assist subelements with test planning Assist with documenting test objectives, data and facilities/infrastructure requirements, and detailed test planning Provide facilities/infrastructure to meet test requirements Provide interfaces between tools Develop, document, and execute data handling and dissemination plans Provide a test engineer to facilitate scheduling of facilities, support specific equipment and software needs, track schedule progress, and monitor changes to schedule Provide guidance for alternative facilities or equipment to mitigate risk associated with loss of availability Provide opportunities for subelements to gather data in relevant and increasingly complex environments

Bixby, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Simulation and Flight Test Capability for Testing Prototype Sense and Avoid System Elements

NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) and The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) have developed, and successfully demonstrated, an integrated simulation-to-flight capability for evaluating sense and avoid (SAA) system elements. This integrated capability consists of a MITRE developed fast-time computer simulation for evaluating SAA algorithms, and a NASA LaRC surrogate unmanned aircraft system (UAS) equipped to support hardware and software in-the-loop evaluation of SAA system elements (e.g., algorithms, sensors, architecture, communications, autonomous systems), concepts, and procedures. The fast-time computer simulation subjects algorithms to simulated flight encounters/ conditions and generates a fitness report that records strengths, weaknesses, and overall performance. Reviewed algorithms (and their fitness report) are then transferred to NASA LaRC where additional (joint) airworthiness evaluations are performed on the candidate SAA system-element configurations, concepts, and/or procedures of interest; software and hardware components are integrated into the Surrogate UAS research systems; and flight safety and mission planning activities are completed. Onboard the Surrogate UAS, candidate SAA system element configurations, concepts, and/or procedures are subjected to flight evaluations and in-flight performance is monitored. The Surrogate UAS, which can be controlled remotely via generic Ground Station uplink or automatically via onboard systems, operates with a NASA Safety Pilot/Pilot in Command onboard to permit safe operations in mixed airspace with manned aircraft. An end-to-end demonstration of a typical application of the capability was performed in non-exclusionary airspace in October 2011; additional research, development, flight testing, and evaluation efforts using this integrated capability are planned throughout fiscal year 2012 and 2013.

Howell, Charles T.↗