E N A B L I N G S C A L A B L E , E F F I C I E N T , A N D S A F E A C C E S S T O A I R S P A C E

A I R S P A C E I N T E G R A T I O N

Parimal Kopardekar, Ph.D.NASA Senior Technologist for Air Transportation System

Parimal.H.Kopardekar@nasa.gov

C U R R E N T A I R S P A C E O P E R A T I O N S

S M A L L U N M A N N E D A I R C R A F T S Y S T E M S

V E R T I C A L T A K E O F F A N D L A N D I N G ( V T O L S )

C U R R E N T N A T I O N A L A I R S P A C E S Y S T E M U R B A N A I R M O B I L I T Y : S M A L L D R O N E S T O L A R G E R P A S S E N G E R C A R R Y I N G

V T O L S

EconomyAffordabilityUbiquitous

S

a

f

e

t

y

A

c

c

e

s

s

Efficiency Scalability

1

2

3

4

5

6

SmallUnmannedAircraftSystems

UrbanAirMobility

SubsonicTransportAviation

HighAltitudeOperations(upperE)

SupersonicsandHypersonics

CommercialSpaceOperations

AirN

avigatio

nService

Provider

A I R S P A C E U S E R T Y P E S A R E I N C R E A S I N G

Flight Information Managemen

t System (FIMS) - FAA

Constraints, Directives

Operations, Deviations

Requests, Decisions UAS Service Supplier

UAS Service Supplier

UAS/Urban AirService

Supplier (USS)

National Airspace System - ATM

Supplemental Data Service Provider

Supplemental Data Service Provider

Supplemental Data Service Provider

• Terrain• Weather• Surveillance• Performance

Inter-USS communication and

coordination

Inter-data provider

communication and coordination

Public Safety

Public

• Operations• Constraints• Modifications• Notifications• InformationOperation requests

Real-time information

NAS state

NAS impacts

Common data

Other Stakeholders

Operator Function

ANSP Function

Color Key:

Urban airOperator

UASUASUAS

Urban AirOperator

UAS Operator…

UASUASUAS UASUASVTOL

Extension of UAS Traffic Management

NAS Data Sources

B A S I C A R C H I T E C T U R E

U R B A N A I R M O B I L I T Y A I R S P A C E I N T E G R A T I O N P R I N C I P L E S

• No burden on current system

• Cooperative and interoperable with other users

• Performance and risk-based

• Efficient

• Safe

• Scalability and sustainability

NEED A Difference picture

B U I L D O N T H E F O U N D A T I O N O F

U N M A N N E D A I R C R A F T S Y S T E M T R A F F I C M A N A G E M E N T ( U T M )

CLOUD-BASED SERVICES (WEATHER, TRACKING, TRAJECTORY)

DEMAND/CAPACITY COORDINATION

SCHEDULING

SPACING

SEPARATION

AIRSPACE AND TRAFFIC CONSTRAINTS

C O N N E C T E D S Y S T E M F O R S C A L A B I L I T Y

A I R M O B I L I T Y O P E R A T I O N S

C E N T E R

S U P P O R T S E R V I C E S S U P P L I E R

A I R N A V I G A T I O N

S E R V I C E P R O V I D E R

A I R C R A F T

“U T M "S Y S T E M

U S E R D E M A N D

SUPPORT SERVICE SUPPLIERS

WEATHERTRACKING

SEPARATION3D MAPSSPACING

COMMUNICATION

AIRCRAFT

SEPARATIONLAST/FIRST 100 FT

ENHANCED FLIGHT RULES

AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE PROVIDER

DIRECTIVESDEMAND/CAPACITY

MANAGEMENTAIRSPACE CONSTRAINTS

MANAGED BY EXCEPTION

OPERATIONS CENTER

TRAJECTORY PLANNINGSCHEDULING OPERATION

DYNAMIC ROUTINGFLIGHT AND FLEET

MONITORINGCONTINGENCY

SUPPORT

F L E X I B I L I T Y W H E R E P O S S I B L E , S T R U C T U R E W H E R E N E C E S S A R Y

R E S E A R C H T O D E T E R M I N E S E R V I C E S , P E R F O R M A N C E N E E D S , A U T O M A T I O N C A P A B I L I T I E S F O R S C A L E D O P E R A T I O N S

“UTM"SYSTEM

Infrastructureresources

Operationscenter- fleet

Airspaceoperations

VehiclePriorityofcertainvehicles

• Airworthiness• Healthandstatus• Performance…

Schedulesatvariousresources

• Demand• Network…

Autonomyalonewillnotleadtoefficiencyandlarge-scaledisturbancemanagementConnectivityiscrucial– air/ground/cloud/infrastructureintegrationwillbekey

• Performanceandrisk-based• Scheduling,spacing,separation• Wx anddisturbancemanagement…

• Availability– real-timeandprediction…

C O N N E C T I V I T Y I S K E Y

E M B R A C I N G I N N O V A T I O N I N A V I A T I O N W H I L E R E S P E C T I N G I T S

S A F E T Y T R A D I T I O N

Parimal.H.Kopardekar@nasa.gov

Space Traffic Management

High Altitude UTM (upper E)

Conventional Manned Aviation (Class A, B, C, D, E)

Urban Air Mobility

Low-altitude small UAS

• Cooperative• Intent-sharing• Digital: data exchanges among

operators• Standardized application protocol

interfaces• Air/ground integrated • Service-oriented architecture• Role for third parties

U T M S T Y L E A I R S P A C E O P E R A T I O N S E N V I R O N M E N T

• Architecture, roles/responsibilities and technology thatallows self-management as much as possible

• Air traffic control interacts indirectly for the majority offlight - for constraints and directives, and airspacechanges

• Operator plans and schedules operation through UTM

• Tracking via wireless, satellite, ADS-B, or beacon-basedsystems connected through UTM

• Air-ground-cloud integrated system for scalability(spacing, separation, flow management, etc)

• Last/first 100 feet for safe and automated take-off andlanding

• Vertiport design and operations for multiplesimultaneous arrivals and departures

A I R , G R O U N D , C L O U D I N T E G R A T E D O P E R A T I O N S A N D S Y S T E M

P A T H F O R S C A L A B I L I T Y

C R A W L - W A L K - R U N A P P R O A C H

Low-density: Initial Operational Capability

• Helicopter routes using today’s procedures

• Entry into controlled airspace thru UTM

• Users: conflict-free trajectories and own tracking

Medium-density: Interim Operational Capability• User creates conflict-free trajectories• Interoperable, cooperative, and intent sharing• Self-managed operations

High-density: Mature Operational Capability• Fully-autonomous planning, scheduling, separations,

entry/exit controlled airspace, interoperability, andcontingency management

• Multiple, simultaneous take-offs and landings

R E S E A R C H N E E D E D T O I D E N T I F Y R E Q U I R E M E N T S F O R S C A L E D O P E R A T I O N S

• Scalable en route and arrival/departure operations

• Cooperative and interoperable operations

• Design of vertiports with multiple vertipads

• Weather tolerant operations (75% delays are due to Wx)

• Off-nominal conditions and contingency operations

• High winds, wind shears, up drafts, etc.

• Power depletion

• Bird strikes

• Requirements (e.g. reserve fuel)

• Integrated air/ground/cloud/infrastructure connected system

R E S E A R C H