National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA s Role in Integration of UAVs Half a Century of Innovation David McBride, Director Dryden Flight Research Center www.nasa.gov
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The 1960s Subscale vehicles were used to investigate lifting body flying characteristics and low-speed handling characteristics of hypersonic vehicle shapes. www.nasa.gov 3
The 1970s A 3/8-scale F-15 was used to investigate the spin characteristics of the Air Force s newest fighter. www.nasa.gov 5
A PA-30 Twin Comanche was optionally piloted from takeoff through landing.
The 1980s The Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) demonstrates a sustained 8-g turn at 0.9M and 25,000 feet. www.nasa.gov 7
Drones were used for aerodynamic and structural testing (DAST) investigated flutter suppression techniques. www.nasa.gov 8
During a controlled impact demonstration (CID), a remotely operated Boeing 720 commercial airliner executed a controlled crash to investigate a variety of survivability technologies. www.nasa.gov 9
The 1990s The Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project matured high-altitude UAVs for science applications. Jointly developed the Predator B with General Atomics www.nasa.gov 10
Established an altitude record with the solar-powered Helios (96,863 feet)
Performed qualitative collisions avoidance testing
2000 Today www.nasa.gov 13
Problem Statement, Goals, and Objectives There is an increasing need to fly unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the National Air Space (NAS) to perform missions for National Security and Defense, Emergency Management, and Science. There also is an emerging need to enable commercial applications such as cargo transport (e.g. FedEx). 14
Airspace Integration Technical Challenge Validate technologies and procedures for UAS to remain an appropriate distance from other aircraft and to safely and routinely interoperate with NAS and NextGen Air Traffic Services (ATS) Interoperability Timeframe Tactical SA ~2-5 min to Loss of Separation Sense and avoid Strategic SA ~3-10+ min to Loss of Separation ATC-provided separation functions www.nasa.gov Collision avoidance 0-~15 sec to collision volume Self separation ~15 sec-~2 min to collision avoidance volume Note: Notional depiction of overlapping detection look-ahead times for different SA and SAA functions (not to scale). Look-ahead times vary with different algorithms. 16
Standards and Regulations Technical Challenge Validate minimum system and operational performance standards and certification requirements and procedures for UAS to safely operate in the NAS Human factors guidelines for ground control station (GCS) operation in the NAS Separation Assurance/ Sense and Avoid Operability requirements Communication requirements Support of the minimum aviation system performance standards (MASPS) process www.nasa.gov 17
Relevant Test Environment Technical Challenge Develop an adaptable, scalable, and schedulable relevant test environment for validating concepts and technologies for UAS to safely operate in the NAS www.nasa.gov 18
NASA Activities to Address Technical Challenges Airspace Integration Communications Separation Assurance/ Sense and Avoid Operability Standards and Regulations Human Systems Integration Relevant Test Environment Certification Integrated Test and Evaluation www.nasa.gov 19
NASA Activities to Address Technical Challenges Airspace Integration Communications Separation Assurance/ Sense and Avoid Operability Standards and Regulations Human Systems Integration Relevant Test Environment Certification Integrated Test and Evaluation www.nasa.gov 20
NASA Activities to Address Technical Challenges Airspace Integration Communications Separation Assurance/ Sense and Avoid Operability Standards and Regulations Human Systems Integration Relevant Test Environment Certification Integrated Test and Evaluation www.nasa.gov 21
Separation Assurance/Sense and Avoid Interoperability (SSI) Technical Activities Airspace Concept Evaluation System (ACES) was augmented to model UAS operations and sense-and-avoid systems in nationwide gate-to-gate ATC simulations. www.nasa.gov 22
Controller in the loop simulation software compatibility www.nasa.gov 23
Human Systems Integration (HSI) Technical Activities First Part-Task Simulation: An Examination of Baseline Compliance Reviewing impact of Traffic displays Pilot workload Certification requirements www.nasa.gov 24
Communications Technical Activities 25
Path Loss (db) Path Loss (db) Initial results of the December 5, 2012 flight Path Loss Versus Tx-Rx Distance for Analytical 2 Ray Model 180 170 160 Free Space Vertical Flat Horizontal Flat Vertical Curved Horizontal Curved 160 150 140 Free Space Vertical Flat Horizontal Flat Vertical Curved Horizontal Curved 150 130 140 120 130 110 120 110 Perfect free space loss 100 90 Perfect free space loss 100 0.5 1 1.5 2 Tx-Rx distance (meter) x 10 4 80 0.5 1 1.5 2 Tx-Rx distance (meter) x 10 4 C band L band www.nasa.gov 26
Certification Technical Activities Aircraft class + weight largely determines airworthiness standards for manned aircraft today UAS classification determined by class and mission www.nasa.gov 27
Integrated Test and Evaluation Technical Activities ADS-B Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast Integration
Climbs and descents at various gross weights, airspeeds, and altitudes to inform simulation and modeling activities 360 turns to evaluate antenna coverage Dryden Flight Research Center Edwards AFB Operational ADS-B radio stations at Mojave Airport (NW) and near Victorville (SSE)
Connectivity LVC-DE Live Virtual Constructive Distributed Environment UAS ADS-B Equipped Dryden Simulation Lab Partners Surrogate UAS ADS-B Equipped WJH Tech Center Flight Monitor Server Ames Simulation Lab ADS-B Ground Stations ITT SBS Air Surveillance Radars Traffic www.nasa.gov 30
LVC-DE Connections ARC GRC HQ GSFC FAA NAS Pax River LaRC DFRC MSFC SSC JSC NSSC KSC www.nasa.gov 31
Stakeholders, Partnerships, and Collaborations Science Mission Directorate Aviation Safety Program Airspace Systems Program Academia Other Government Organizations and FFRDCs Industry Foreign Organizations Standards Organizations www.nasa.gov 32