Innovative Partnership Aims To Revolutionize Urban Airspace With Drones

NASA and the FAA are charting a course toward safe urban drone deliveries, with all eyes on Edwards AFB, California, as the testing ground.

At a Glance

The FAA has authorized commercial drones to operate without visual observers.
Companies like Zipline and Walmart are expanding drone delivery operations.
The UTM technology allows for shared airspace management.
NASA is advancing safety protocols for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
The regulatory landscape is evolving to enable wide-scale drone usage.

FAA Expands Commercial Drone Operations

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the green light to multiple operators to fly commercial drones without the need for visual observers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This pioneering step, supported by NASA’s technological advancements, is a major leap towards integrating drones into everyday life. Companies such as DroneUp, Wing, and Zipline are spearheading this movement, with plans to greatly expand reach, especially for major retailers like Walmart.

The capacity for drones to deliver packages rapidly and efficiently positions them as valuable assets in urban logistics. Walmart alone envisions expanding its drone delivery services to reach 1.8 million additional households, pushing boundaries within a 10-mile radius for deliveries as quick as 10 minutes.

Advanced Traffic Management Systems

NASA’s collaboration with the FAA has led to the development of the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) system. This technology is crucial for controlling drone flights and ensuring safety as more unmanned vehicles enter the skies. UTM is now in use in Dallas, enabling shared airspace management, a critical step towards mainstream drone operations.

“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,” according to Parimal Kopardekar, NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility mission integration manager.

The new regulations focus on Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, previously needing special federal approval. Data from initial flights will inform FAA rules, streamlining drone use without exemptions and waivers, ultimately boosting North American commercial drone deliveries significantly.

The #FAA and @NASA, in partnership with @MAAPUAS, @NorthDakotaUAS, and @NIAS_Nevada, successfully demonstrated how the #UTMPilotProgram will help advance safe #drone integration. https://t.co/DuK9S5pehT #FlySafe pic.twitter.com/TQQKm2C08K

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) September 4, 2019

Overcoming Economic Challenges

Despite technological strides, drone operators face economic hurdles, such as managing traffic, controlling labor, and technology costs. Currently, companies like DroneUp endeavor to reduce delivery costs below $7 per package as they explore scaling up operations. Additionally, NASA’s continuous testing further ensures safe package delivery while opening doors to potential air taxi innovations.

“The [drone] industry is effectively having to almost build all of these things from the ground up in a way that makes it hard and economically infeasible to continue to scale,” said John Vernon, co-founder and chief technology officer for DroneUp.

As consumers show increasing interest in drone deliveries, indicated by a survey showing 58% are likely to use such services if available, the path of innovation coupled with strategic partnerships appears promising.