Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
NASA Drives Vision of Air Traffic Management for Drones
The NASA-led UAS Traffic Management (UTM) research effort is shaping the rules and capabilities of this coming low-altitude ecosystem.
NASA graphic helps illustrate the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Traffic Management (UTM) system. (Photo: NASA)
NASA graphic helps illustrate the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Traffic Management (UTM) system. (Photo: NASA)

Quite apart from the drone the neighborhood kid sails over the hedgerow, the FAA and industry observers expect that hundreds of thousands of small, commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) will eventually seek access to the nation’s airspace. For some four years now, the NASA-led UAS Traffic Management (UTM) research effort has worked to shape the rules and capabilities of this coming low-altitude ecosystem.