NASA will hold a “systems integration and operationalization (SIO) demonstration industry day” at the Hotel Solamar, San Diego, California, USA on 30 November for industry partners wanting to play a role in the agency’s UAS Integration in the National Airspace System (UAS-NAS) programme.
The (UAS-NAS) Project provides research findings to reduce technical barriers associated with bringing UAS into the NAS utilizing integrated system level testing in a relevant environment. Since its inception in 2011, the UAS-NAS Project has been focused on providing research findings to inform standards for detect and avoid (DAA) and command and control (C2) technologies. However, the long-term vision of the project has always been to advance the overall state of the art for the technologies necessary to achieve full performance-based UAS access to the NAS. The UAS-NAS Project will conduct an SIO demonstration in the summer of 2020.
“A key objective of the SIO demonstration will be to leverage integrated DAA, C2, and state of the art UAS vehicle technologies with a pathway towards certification,” says the agency in its federal business opportunities request for participation.
(https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=7b629912df70effbb2a7a97c5918623b&tab=core&_cview=1)
“The SIO demonstration will be focused on operations conducted in controlled airspace 500 feet or more above ground level, and with vehicles greater than 55 lb (25 kg). The demonstration will be a partnership between NASA and industry, and include significant coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The outputs will help the industry partner(s) compile the necessary artifacts and other data/information to support regulatory compliance of their vehicle(s) and system(s). Additionally, NASA will compile the necessary information to develop a generic toolkit for similar vehicles with similar performance characteristics, and make this toolkit publically available.”
The industry day will bring together stakeholders to inform them of the NASA plans for the SIO demonstration during the morning session, and begin the collaborative dialogue on the benefits to all parties during the afternoon session. NASA will use the information exchanged during industry day to develop a partnership strategy and agreements in support of the SIO demonstration. To better assist industry prepare for the dialog, NASA will release an RFI late October to gather more information in support of the SIO demonstration.
NASA is inviting industry aircraft manufacturers, industry sensor manufacturers, industry communications providers, FAA UAS test sites, aviation service providers, other government agencies, and others interested in testing specific UAS technologies to the event. It will allow industry to demonstrate their UAS system/subsystem technologies in a relevant environment offering industry partners resources to help substantiate a safety/certification case. NASA will explain how industry can participate in the SIO demonstration at this Industry/Workshop Day.
Solicitation Number: 80AFRC180001_RFI
Points of Contact: Robert Sakahara, Manager, UAS-NAS Project – robert.d.sakahara@nasa.gov, Ph: (661) 276-2566, or
Logistics: Jamie Turner, jamie.m.turner@nasa.gov, Ph: (661) 276-3784
