NASA, Wisk Aero and Collins Aerospace recently conducted a test of a tool that could enable remotely piloted aircraft to operate in the national airspace and transport people or deliver goods within urban areas.
The space agency said Tuesday that its Air Traffic Management eXploration project, known as ATM-X, assisted Wisk Aero’s Bell 206 light turbine helicopter flight in Hollister, California, to test Collins’ ground-based radar.
ATM-X is an initiative intended to identify the technologies the Federal Aviation Administration needs to facilitate the safe integration of drones and air taxis into the national airspace.
Collins’ Ground-Based Radar Demonstration
During the test, the Collins radar collected and transmitted aircraft location data to NASA’s Mission Visualization Research Command Center at Ames Research Center in California. Initial analysis determined that radar actively and accurately surveilled the airspace throughout the flight.
By monitoring and sharing location data, the organizations can enable remotely piloted aircraft operators to detect and avoid other aircraft and keep the airspace safe.
NASA, Wisk and Collins will continue to analyze flight data collected during the test to better understand radar performance.
NASA and Wish will also work together on potentially integrating electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, or eVTOLS, into the national airspace.
Related Articles
James McCament, chief digital transformation officer at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, has received the 2025 Government Executive of the Year Award in recognition of his leadership in modernizing CBP through automation, digital innovation and customer-focused design, Homeland Security Today reported Saturday. McCament will speak at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 12. He will join a panel where government and industry leaders discuss how to balance technological innovation with the law enforcement mission. Register today to hear from McCament and other homeland security leaders shaping the future of innovation in national security. The Service to
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has appointed Stephen Casapulla as its executive assistant director for infrastructure security. The agency said Tuesday that Casapulla will continue to serve as its acting chief strategy officer and interim assistant director of the National Risk Management Center. In a statement, Casapulla thanked President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, a 2025 Wash100 winner, for trusting him in the position. “I am committed to advancing CISA’s mission and ensuring the security and resilience of our nation’s critical infrastructure and the American people,” he added. Madhu Gottumukkala, deputy director of CISA, welcomed Casapulla
The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, or AFIMSC, has developed a blanket purchase agreement to facilitate the delivery of base operations support IT, or BOS-IT, services across the Department of the Air Force’s installations. Through the centralized BPA, AFIMSC said Tuesday it seeks to streamline procurement through pre-approved contractors and enable bases to tailor IT services to their specific technological requirements and mission needs. “This is a great opportunity for the Air Force to elevate the quality and consistency of IT services across all installations,” said Master Sgt. Gerald Campbell, enterprise communications manager with AFIMSC’s Optimization and Integration