NASA And FAA Join Forces For Safe Urban Drone Innovations

Exciting developments in urban drone delivery systems are underway as NASA and the FAA join forces to ensure safety in city skies.

At a Glance

Multiple operators in Dallas-Fort Worth can now fly drones without visual observers.
Walmart expands drone deliveries, targeting 1.8 million households.
NASA and FAA are pioneering Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
Regulatory changes aim to boost drone delivery efficiency in North America.

Regulatory Leaps and Testing Grounds

The FAA has recently authorized multiple drone operators to fly commercial drones without visual observers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, marking a significant step in integrating these systems into urban landscapes. Companies like DroneUp, Wing, and Zipline are taking advantage of this new regulation, delivering packages for large retailers, such as Walmart, which plans to extend its service to 1.8 million more households.

As part of the joint effort, NASA and the FAA are focusing on safely managing drones with the unmanned aircraft system traffic management (UTM) technology. This technology provides situational awareness for drone operators and allows for seamless, digital sharing of flight details. These advancements play a crucial role in allowing commercial BVLOS flights, previously possible only with special FAA approval at select test sites.

Expanding Urban Drone Deliveries

The regulatory approval is a game-changer, expected to drive the growth of commercial drone deliveries in North America, which nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023. Walmart’s drone delivery service exemplifies this potential, with small items being delivered within just 30 minutes, and sometimes as quickly as 10 minutes, within a 10-mile radius. With data from these test flights, the FAA aims to craft new rules enabling wide-scale drone operations without needing special authorizations.

“NASA’s pioneering work on UTM, in collaboration with the FAA and industry, set the stage for safe and scalable small drone flights below 400 feet.” said Parimal Kopardekar, NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility mission integration manager.

Despite the regulatory advancements, economic challenges such as traffic management, labor, technology costs, and meeting regulatory requirements remain. However, retailers who have been experimenting with drone delivery for over a decade are optimistic, given the promising reception by customers—58% of whom are likely to opt for drone delivery if the option is available.

City life has challenges…from crowds to traffic & more. In the near future, drones will face these & other challenges in our cities as they start flying. To help, @NASAaero is testing tech as part of a system to safely manage urban drone traffic. More: https://t.co/0wohfjPMXq pic.twitter.com/J4IdIKjZEu

— NASA (@NASA) May 21, 2019

NASA’s Role in Pioneering Drone Technology

NASA is spearheading efforts to ensure the safe integration of drones into urban airspace. Through significant research and development in BVLOS technology, NASA has created key systems such as the UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system. This system is crucial for managing shared airspace, where public safety drones must take priority over commercial drones.

The UTM system is currently operational in parts of Dallas for commercial drone deliveries, demonstrating the alignment between technological innovation and regulatory frameworks. These developments aim to transform routine drone deliveries of supplies, packages, and potentially air taxis into a practical reality across the U.S.