Unmanned Aerial Systems Traffic Management

NASA has developed a traffic management system for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) to maintain safe and efficient UAS operations. This novel technology enables the growth in civilian applications of UAS operations at lower altitudes by developing a UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system. There are a number of applications of UAS that includes goods and services delivery in urban, difficult terrain, and rural areas; imaging and surveillance for agriculture; and utility management. To enable significant commercial use of UASs within lower-altitude airspace and airspace that does not interfere with regular National Airspace System (NAS) operations, a UTM system is required. UTM is essential to enable accelerated applications of UASs. UTM will accommodate and support all types of UAS operations, ranging from disposable with minimalistic avionics capabilities, to highly capable UASs.