Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Agency Talks Could Lead to Larger NASA Role on Drones
The space agency and the FAA are discussing a joint approach to managing the entry of small drones into the airspace system.
From left, Lisa Ellman of Hogan Lovells, Marke Gibson of the FAA, John Verdi of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Travis Mason of Google address UAS policy briefing in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Bill Carey)
From left, Lisa Ellman of Hogan Lovells, Marke Gibson of the FAA, John Verdi of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Travis Mason of Google address UAS policy briefing in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Bill Carey)

The Federal Aviation Administration and NASA are discussing a joint approach to introducing small drones into the airspace that could give the space agency a larger role in the effort. NASA’s Ames Research Center is already leading the development of an Unmanned Aerial System Traffic Management, or UTM, system that would manage low-flying drones. The current discussions could lead to even broader participation by the space agency, said the FAA’s lead executive for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).