Ikhana flies a UAS Integration in the NAS mission

UA HUNTSVILLE’S MIRANDA NELSON AND MICHAEL PATTERSON POSE WITH THE MOONBUGGY THEY WILL DRIVE IN THE 2011 GREAT MOONBUGGY RACE AT THE US SPACE AND ROCKET CENTER.

Honeywell supplied a specially instrumented twin-engine King Air to serve as an intruder for NASA’s Ikhana UAS.

UAS-NAS ACAS Xu FT2

Flight Test in the Roverscape (N-269) at NASA's Ames Research Center, the project team tests the DJI Matrice 600 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio tracking receiver to study the invasive asian carp in the Mississippi River.

Flight Test in the Roverscape (N-269) at NASA's Ames Research Center, the project team tests the DJI Matrice 600 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio tracking receiver to study the invasive asian carp in the Mississippi River. Rick, Kolyer, Jonas Jonsson, Ethan, Pinsker, Bob Dahlgren.

Flight Test in the Roverscape (N-269) at NASA's Ames Research Center, the project team tests the DJI Matrice 600 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio tracking receiver to study the invasive asian carp in the Mississippi River.

Sierra Uninhaited Aerial System (UAV plane) in the Ames hangar. aks; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS)

Sierra Uninhaited Aerial System (UAV plane) in the Ames hangar. aks; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS)

Sierra Uninhaited Aerial System (UAV plane) in the Ames hangar. aks; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS)

Sierra Uninhaited Aerial System (UAV plane) in the Ames hangar. aks; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS)

Sierra Uninhaited Aerial System (UAV plane) in the Ames hangar. aks; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS)

SIERRA (Systems Integration Evaluation Remote Research Aircraft) Uninhabited Aerial System (UAV plane) on the Ames flightline (aka; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS))

Equipped with a pod-mounted infrared imaging sensor, the Altair UAS aided fire mapping efforts over wildfires in central and southern California in late 2006.

SIERRA (Systems Integration Evaluation Remote Research Aircraft) Uninhabited Aerial System (UAV plane) on the Ames flightline (aka; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS))

SIERRA (Systems Integration Evaluation Remote Research Aircraft) Uninhabited Aerial System (UAV plane) on the Ames flightline (aka; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS))

SIERRA (Systems Integration Evaluation Remote Research Aircraft) Uninhabited Aerial System (UAV plane) on the Ames flightline (aka; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS))

SIERRA (Systems Integration Evaluation Remote Research Aircraft) Uninhabited Aerial System (UAV plane) on the Ames flightline (aka; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS))

A high-tech infrared imaging sensor in its underbelly pod, the Altair UAS flew repeated passes over the Esperanza fire to aid firefighting efforts.

SIERRA (Systems Integration Evaluation Remote Research Aircraft) Uninhabited Aerial System (UAV plane) on the Ames flightline (aka; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS))

SIERRA (Systems Integration Evaluation Remote Research Aircraft) Uninhabited Aerial System (UAV plane) on the Ames flightline (aka; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS))

NASA's ER-2 aircraft is prepared for a check flight by Eric Hintsa, scientist of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Chromatograph for Atmospheric Trace Species (UCATS) instrument, on May 13, 2022.

Sierra Uninhaited Aerial System (UAV plane) in the Ames hangar. aks; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS) with L-R: Larry Pezzolo and Leslie Monforton, Naval Research Lab (on detail)

Sierra Uninhaited Aerial System (UAV plane) in the Ames hangar. aks; Sierra Unpiloted Aerial system (UAS) with Leslie Monforton (on detail from the Naval Reesearch Lab)

Take Our Children to Work Day participants learn about the ocean’s ecosystem on June 27 during an activity conducted by representatives with Mississippi State University, Northern Gulf Institute, and the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence.

Flight Test in the Roverscape (N-269) at NASA's Ames Research Center, the project team tests the DJI Matrice 600 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio tracking receiver to study the invasive asian carp in the Mississippi River.

Flight Test in the Roverscape (N-269) at NASA's Ames Research Center, the project team tests the DJI Matrice 600 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio tracking receiver to study the invasive asian carp in the Mississippi River.

Flight Test in the Roverscape (N-269) at NASA's Ames Research Center, the project team tests the DJI Matrice 600 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio tracking receiver to study the invasive asian carp in the Mississippi River.

Flight Test in the Roverscape (N-269) at NASA's Ames Research Center, the project team tests the DJI Matrice 600 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio tracking receiver to study the invasive asian carp in the Mississippi River.

Flight Test in the Roverscape (N-269) at NASA's Ames Research Center, the project team tests the DJI Matrice 600 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio tracking receiver to study the invasive asian carp in the Mississippi River.

Flight Test in the Roverscape (N-269) at NASA's Ames Research Center, the project team tests the DJI Matrice 600 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio tracking receiver to study the invasive asian carp in the Mississippi River.

Flight Test in the Roverscape (N-269) at NASA's Ames Research Center, the project team tests the DJI Matrice 600 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio tracking receiver to study the invasive asian carp in the Mississippi River.

Flight Test in the Roverscape (N-269) at NASA's Ames Research Center, the project team tests the DJI Matrice 600 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio tracking receiver to study the invasive asian carp in the Mississippi River.

Test of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) technical capability Level 2 (TCL2) at Reno-Stead Airport, Nevada. During the test, five drones simultaneously crossed paths, separated by altitude. Two drones flew beyond visual line-of-sight and three flew within line-of-sight of their operators. Engineers Priya Venkatesan and Joey Mercer review flight paths using the UAS traffic management research platform at flight operations mission control at NASA’s UTM TCL2 test.

Test of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) technical capability Level 2 (TCL2) at Reno-Stead Airport, Nevada. During the test, five drones simultaneously crossed paths, separated by altitude. Two drones flew beyond visual line-of-sight and three flew within line-of-sight of their operators. Precision Hawk pilot launches UAS Lancaster Mark 3, one of 11 vehicles in the UTM TCL2 demonstration that will fly beyond line of sight of the pilot in command in Nevada test.

Test of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) technical capability Level 2 (TCL2) at Reno-Stead Airport, Nevada. During the test, five drones simultaneously crossed paths, separated by altitude. Two drones flew beyond visual line-of-sight and three flew within line-of-sight of their operators. Precision Hawk pilot readies Lancaster Mark 3 UAS for test flight.

Test of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) technical capability Level 2 (TCL2) at Reno-Stead Airport, Nevada. During the test, five drones simultaneously crossed paths, separated by altitude. Two drones flew beyond visual line-of-sight and three flew within line-of-sight of their operators. Engineer Joey Mercer reviews flight paths using the UAS traffic management research platform UTM coordinator app to verify and validate flight paths.

Crew members of the Subscale Research Lab at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California perform a series of preflight system checks of the MicroCub to ensure the aircraft is ready for its maiden flight.

The MicroCub, a modified a Bill Hempel 60-percent-scale super cub, approaches for a landing at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. This was the first flight of the MicroCub in which the crew validated the airworthiness of the aircraft.

The MicroCub is the newest addition to NASA Armstrong's fleet of subscale research aircraft. The aircraft is a modified a Bill Hempel 60-percent-scale super cub, designed with a 21-foot wingspan, a Piccolo Autopilot guidance system and a JetCat SPT-15 Turboprop.

NASA's Daryl Ferguson, mission commander and pilot, Steve Hamilton and Brad Petty unload the TigerShark at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation's Steve Hamilton, lead TigerShark pilot, and Brad Petty, mission commander and pilot, unload the crate containing the TigerShark at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

Daryl Ferguson attaches the TigerShark’s tail at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

The fully assembled TigerShark unmanned aircraft system, seen here near a hangar at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, is expected to soon be flying missions.

NASA’s Ikhana aircraft, based at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew for 2.5 hours on June 12 in the national airspace without a safety chase aircraft.

In this aerial view, crews with Orion Marine Construction work to complete the westbound span of the Indian River Bridge while daily traffic moves along the upgraded eastbound lanes of the bridge leading to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. The bridge crosses the Indian River Lagoon and connects Kennedy and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to the mainland via State Road 405/NASA Causeway in nearby Titusville. The new high-rise bridge serves as the primary entrance and exit to the space center for employees and visitors. The new bridge spans replace a pair of two-lane drawbridges built in the mid-1960s to support NASA’s Apollo program. The first of the two new spans opened to the public ahead of schedule on June 9, 2023. In development for well over a decade, the load capacity, width, and grade of the bridge were designed to support the largest future payloads and vehicles at the spaceport while simultaneously supporting increased public traffic to and from Kennedy.

The No Chase COA (NCC) team at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center pose for a group photo with the unmanned aircraft system the Ikhana.

NASA’s Ikhana aircraft, based at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, takes off for the agency’s first large-scale, remotely-piloted aircraft flight in the national airspace without a safety chase aircraft.

Aircraft maintenance crews at NASA‘s Armstrong Flight Research Center prepare the remotely-piloted Ikhana aircraft for a test flight. The test flight was performed to validate key technologies and operations necessary for FAA’s approval to fly the aircraft in the National Airspace System June 12, 2018, without a safety chase aircraft.

On June 12, 2018, NASA’s remotely-piloted Ikhana aircraft, lifted off from Edwards Air Force Base for its first mission in the National Airspace System without a safety chase aircraft. The June 12 flight successfully demonstrated the first remotely-piloted aircraft to use airborne detect and avoid technology to meet the intent of the FAA’s “see and avoid” rules.

On June 12, 2018, NASA’s remotely-piloted Ikhana aircraft, based at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, lifted off for its first mission in the National Airspace System without a safety chase aircraft. The June 12 flight successfully demonstrated the first remotely-piloted aircraft to use airborne detect and avoid technology to meet the intent of the FAA’s “see and avoid” rules.

NASA’s Ikhana aircraft, based at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew for 2.5 hours on June 12 in the national airspace without a safety chase aircraft.

In this aerial view, crews with Orion Marine Construction work to complete the westbound span of the Indian River Bridge while daily traffic moves along the upgraded eastbound lanes of the bridge leading to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. The bridge crosses the Indian River Lagoon and connects Kennedy and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to the mainland via State Road 405/NASA Causeway in nearby Titusville. The new high-rise bridge serves as the primary entrance and exit to the space center for employees and visitors. The new bridge spans replace a pair of two-lane drawbridges built in the mid-1960s to support NASA’s Apollo program. The first of the two new spans opened to the public ahead of schedule on June 9, 2023. In development for well over a decade, the load capacity, width, and grade of the bridge were designed to support the largest future payloads and vehicles at the spaceport while simultaneously supporting increased public traffic to and from Kennedy.

NASA’s remotely-piloted Ikhana aircraft, based at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, is flown in preparation for its first mission in the National Airspace System without a safety chase aircraft.

In this aerial view, crews with Orion Marine Construction work to complete the westbound span of the Indian River Bridge while daily traffic moves along the upgraded eastbound lanes of the bridge leading to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. The bridge crosses the Indian River Lagoon and connects Kennedy and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to the mainland via State Road 405/NASA Causeway in nearby Titusville. The new high-rise bridge serves as the primary entrance and exit to the space center for employees and visitors. The new bridge spans replace a pair of two-lane drawbridges built in the mid-1960s to support NASA’s Apollo program. The first of the two new spans opened to the public ahead of schedule on June 9, 2023. In development for well over a decade, the load capacity, width, and grade of the bridge were designed to support the largest future payloads and vehicles at the spaceport while simultaneously supporting increased public traffic to and from Kennedy.

Aircraft maintenance crews at NASA‘s Armstrong Flight Research Center prepare the remotely-piloted Ikhana aircraft for a test flight of Ikhana. The test flight was performed to validate key technologies and operations necessary for FAA’s approval to fly the aircraft in the National Airspace System June 12, 2018, without a safety chase aircraft.

Engineers at NASA‘s Armstrong Flight Research Center sit in a control room to monitor the remotely-piloted Ikhana aircraft during a test flight. The test flight was used to validate key technologies and operations necessary to receive approval from the FAA’s to fly the aircraft in the National Airspace System June 12, 2018, without a safety chase aircraft.

Several projects under NASA's Advanced Air Mobility or AAM mission are working on different elements to help make AAM a reality in emergency operations. This concept graphic shows how a future AAM vehicle could aid in disaster response.

Brad Petty from Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation attaches a winglet to the TigerShark upon arrival at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center.

The NAVMAR Applied Sciences Corporation TigerShark, flew over Edwards Air Force Base on July 9, 2019 during a systems checkout flight for Flight Test Six.

Several projects supporting NASA's Advanced Air Mobility or AAM mission are working on different elements to help make AAM a reality and one of these research areas is automation. This concept graphic shows how elements of automation could be integrated into a future airspace. Technology like this could enable vehicles to operate without a pilot, or if a pilot is in the loop, increase the safety.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, in Florida, at 2:56 a.m. EDT on May 2, 2021. Astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker of NASA, and Soichi Noguchi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) completed Crew-1, the first crew rotation mission to the International Space Station in partnership with NASA as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Teams on the Go Navigator recovery ship, including two fast boats, work to secure and hoist Crew Dragon onto the main deck of the recovery ship with the astronauts inside.

On July 29, 2021, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft and the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket rolled out of the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Starliner will launch on the Atlas V for Boeing’s second uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2) for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. OFT-2 is an important uncrewed mission designed to test the end-to-end capabilities of the new system for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Several projects supporting NASA's Advanced Air Mobility or AAM mission are working on different research initiatives to help make AAM a reality. AAM could be used in healthcare operations in the form of air taxi ambulances or medical supply delivery in the future. This concept graphic shows how a future AAM vehicle could aid in healthcare by carrying passengers to a hospital.

Several projects supporting NASA's Advanced Air Mobility, or AAM mission, are working on different elements to help make AAM a reality. The team is researching how the addition of AAM could cut traffic commutes, make travel more sustainable, and make road trips shorter. With the addition of AAM, we would be using another dimension in the sky for travel below traditional aircraft and above cars, buses, or trains below.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, in Florida, at 2:56 a.m. EDT on May 2, 2021. Astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker of NASA, and Soichi Noguchi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) completed Crew-1, the first crew rotation mission to the International Space Station in partnership with NASA as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Teams on the Go Navigator recovery ship, including two fast boats, work to secure and hoist Crew Dragon onto the main deck of the recovery ship with the astronauts inside.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, in Florida, at 2:56 a.m. EDT on May 2, 2021. Astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker of NASA, and Soichi Noguchi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) completed Crew-1, the first crew rotation mission to the International Space Station in partnership with NASA as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Teams on the Go Navigator recovery ship, including two fast boats, work to secure and hoist Crew Dragon onto the main deck of the recovery ship with the astronauts inside.

On July 29, 2021, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft and the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket rolled out of the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Starliner will launch on the Atlas V for Boeing’s second uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2) for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. OFT-2 is an important uncrewed mission designed to test the end-to-end capabilities of the new system for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

On July 29, 2021, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft and the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket rolled out of the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Starliner will launch on the Atlas V for Boeing’s second uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2) for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. OFT-2 is an important uncrewed mission designed to test the end-to-end capabilities of the new system for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, in Florida, at 2:56 a.m. EDT on May 2, 2021. Astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker of NASA, and Soichi Noguchi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) completed Crew-1, the first crew rotation mission to the International Space Station in partnership with NASA as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. At left is SpaceX’s Go Navigator recovery ship. Crew Dragon will be secured and then hoisted onto the main deck of the recovery ship with the astronauts inside.

On July 29, 2021, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft and the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket rolled out of the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Starliner will launch on the Atlas V for Boeing’s second uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2) for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. OFT-2 is an important uncrewed mission designed to test the end-to-end capabilities of the new system for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, in Florida, at 2:56 a.m. EDT on May 2, 2021. Astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker of NASA, and Soichi Noguchi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) completed Crew-1, the first crew rotation mission to the International Space Station in partnership with NASA as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. At left is SpaceX’s Go Navigator recovery ship. Teams on two fast boats and Go Navigator will secure Crew Dragon to be hoisted onto the main deck of the recovery ship with the astronauts inside.

The National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC), located in Huntsville, Alabama, is a laboratory for cutting-edge research in selected scientific and engineering disciplines. The major objectives of the NSSTC are to provide multiple fields of expertise coming together to solve solutions to science and technology problems, and gaining recognition as a world-class science research organization. The center, opened in August 2000, focuses on space science, Earth sciences, information technology, optics and energy technology, biotechnology and materials science, and supports NASA's mission of advancing and communicating scientific knowledge using the environment of space for research. In addition to providing basic and applied research, NSSTC, with its student participation, also fosters the next generation of scientists and engineers. NSSTC is a collaborated effort between NASA and the state of Alabama through the Space Science and Technology alliance, a group of six universities including the Universities of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH),Tuscaloosa (UA), and Birmingham (UAB); the University of South Alabama in Mobile (USA); Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AM) in Huntsville; and Auburn University (AU) in Auburn. Participating federal agencies include NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy. Industries involved include the Space Science Research Center, the Global Hydrology and Climate Center, the Information Technology Research Center, the Optics and Energy Technology Center, the Propulsion Research Center, the Biotechnology Research Center, and the Materials Science Research Center. An arnex, scheduled for completion by summer 2002, will add an additional 80,000 square feet (7,432 square meters) to NSSTC nearly doubling the size of the core facility. At full capacity, the completed NSSTC will top 200,000 square feet (18,580 square meters) and house approximately 550 employees.

The National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC), located in Huntsville, Alabama, is a laboratory for cutting-edge research in selected scientific and engineering disciplines. The major objectives of the NSSTC are to provide multiple fields of expertise coming together to solve solutions to science and technology problems, and gaining recognition as a world-class science research organization. The center, opened in August 2000, focuses on space science, Earth sciences, information technology, optics and energy technology, biotechnology and materials science, and supports NASA's mission of advancing and communicating scientific knowledge using the environment of space for research. In addition to providing basic and applied research, NSSTC, with its student participation, also fosters the next generation of scientists and engineers. NSSTC is a collaborated effort between NASA and the state of Alabama through the Space Science and Technology alliance, a group of six universities including the Universities of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH),Tuscaloosa (UA), and Birmingham (UAB); the University of South Alabama in Mobile (USA);Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AM) in Huntsville; and Auburn University (AU) in Auburn. Participating federal agencies include NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy. Industries involved include the Space Science Research Center, the Global Hydrology and Climate Center, the Information Technology Research Center, the Optics and Energy Technology Center, the Propulsion Research Center, the Biotechnology Research Center, and the Materials Science Research Center. This photo shows the completed center with the additional arnex (right of building) that added an additional 80,000 square feet (7,432 square meters) to the already existent NSSTC, nearly doubling the size of the core facility. At full capacity, the NSSTC tops 200,000 square feet (18,580 square meters) and houses approximately 550 employees.

Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, performs pre-flight checks on a FreeFly Systems Alta X drone, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project conducted connectivity and infrastructure flight tests with a NASA TG-14 glider aircraft at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2020. The flights were preparation for the NC Integrated Dry Run Test in December and allowed pilots to view the routes they will fly during the helicopter test.

NASA's Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign conducts testing to study controllability characteristics when operating near buildings during heavy wind conditions at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Dec. 6 and 8-10. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. was used to study urban air mobility vehicle performance and flying qualities requirements.

A Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. in Mojave, California, sits on a helipad at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California the first week of December 2020. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project used the helicopter as a surrogate urban air mobility vehicle to develop and implement infrastructure, including the markings seen in the image, to support safe operations of these vehicles.  

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight during STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, field testing, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. in Mojave, California, flies at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California the first week of December 2020. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project used the helicopter as a surrogate urban air mobility vehicle to develop a data baseline for future flight testing.  

Vertiports and helipads were painted Oct. 6-14, 2020 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center to support future flight testing for the Advanced Air Mobility project’s National Campaign. 

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. in Mojave, California, prepares to land at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California the first week of December 2020. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project used the helicopter as a surrogate urban air mobility vehicle to develop a data baseline for future flight testing. 

Ames Research Center researchers from left to right Yasmin Arbab,   Faisal Omar and Mark Snycerski on the Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project’s Airspace Test Infrastructure (ATI) team as well as Armstrong’s Sam Simpliciano in the background. The researchers monitor surveillance data from the helicopter in real time during the NC Integrated Dry Run Test the first week of December 2020 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

A laptop displays the flight path of a FreeFly Systems Alta X drone during STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, field testing, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign flies maneuvers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Dec. 6, and 8-10. During this testing, the helicopter is used to study controllability characteristics when operating near buildings during heavy wind conditions. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. was used to study urban air mobility vehicle performance and flying qualities requirements.

An aerial image taken by one of NASA’s photographers during recent helicopter flights shows a view of the building 4833 structure and the mobile operating facility at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign uses the mobile operations facility vehicle shown in the lower right corner during test operations. The red, yellow, and white building markings applied to building 4833 are used to provide visual aids to the pilot during handling qualities testing used to research advanced air mobility flight requirements.

Ames Research Center researchers on the Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project's Airspace Test Infrastructure (ATI) team monitor surveillance data and metrics from the helicopter in real time during the NC Integrated Dry Run Test team the first week of December 2020 at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

NASA's Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign created a visual aid, known as a tetherball, to serve as the helicopter pilot's height reference while flying different task elements at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Nov. 8-10. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. was used to study urban air mobility vehicle performance and flying qualities requirements.

Flight Research Inc.'s Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter flies around a visual aid, known as a tetherball, created to serve as the pilot's visual height reference while performing handling qualities testing at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Nov. 8-10. NASA's Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign used the helicopter to study urban air mobility vehicle and airspace requirements.

Flight Research Inc.'s Bell OH-58 helicopter performs different test maneuvers at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Nov. 8-10, and Dec. 6, and 8-10. NASA's Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign used the helicopter to study urban air mobility vehicle performance and flying qualities requirements.

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. flies around a visual aid, known as a tetherball, created to serve as the pilot's visual height reference while performing handling qualities testing at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Nov. 8-10. NASA's Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign used the helicopter to study urban air mobility vehicle and airspace requirements.

The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project’s NC Integrated Dry Run Test team is pictured in front of a Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. in Mojave, California the first week of December 2020 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, conducts final check before a flight of a FreeFly Systems Alta X drone as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Flight Research Inc.’s Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter lands on a helipad at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California in March 2021 at the completion of an urban air mobility scenario. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project conducted a second phase of research called build II. This helicopter was used as a surrogate urban air mobility vehicle to study aspects of a future air taxi mission.