NASA has partnered with the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems to test the space agency’s traffic management system and demonstrate its capability to facilitate operations of multiple unmanned aerial systems.
NIAS and NASA conducted the UTM test on May 25 at the Nevada UAS test site as part of the Technology Capability Level 2 National Campaign, NIAS said Monday.
The three-week TCL2 campaign started on May 9 and is a second-phase test that sought to demonstrate the NASA UTM system’s capabilities in aerial survey, parachute-based emergency package deliveries and beyond-line-of-sight operations across six Federal Aviation Administration-designated UAS test sites.
The NASA UTM test involved the use of command-and-control systems, detect-and-avoid platforms, visual observers, communications systems, radars and sensors that are linked to NASA’s UAS service supplier network.
Chris Walach, director of the Nevada UAS test site, said the NASA UTM test flights helped facilitate the first parachute-based package delivery and beyond-line-of-sight missions  in the National Airspace System.
“The National Campaign data provided to NASA from our two-week operation will go a long way toward advancing the UTM for the FAA and the UAS industry,†Wallach added.
Companies that participated in the NASA UTM TCL2 test include AirMap, Drone America, Carbon Autonomous, Delair-Tech and Sensofusion.
