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| NASA Advanced Air Mobility Project | |
|---|---|
| Name | NASA Advanced Air Mobility Project |
| Established | 2019 |
| Type | Research program |
| Parent | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| Location | United States |
NASA Advanced Air Mobility Project
The NASA Advanced Air Mobility Project is a research initiative within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that develops concepts, technologies, and operational frameworks for enabling routine, safe, and efficient air transportation using novel vehicle types and networked operations. The project connects research in vehicle design, Federal Aviation Administration procedures, urban and rural operations, and community acceptance to accelerate adoption of rotorcraft-like and electric propulsion aircraft. It coordinates with stakeholders across civil aviation, manufacturing, academia, and municipal planners to shape next-generation mobility systems.
The Project explores integration of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and hybrid-electric aircraft into the national airspace overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration, working alongside programs in Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and related efforts at NASA Ames Research Center, NASA Langley Research Center, and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. It aims to bridge experimental vehicle prototypes from companies such as Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, EVE Air Mobility, and Lilium to operational concepts employed by operators like Uber Elevate (project), United Airlines, and regional air taxi services. Research outputs influence rulemaking at the International Civil Aviation Organization and standards development organizations including RTCA, Inc. and SAE International.
Primary goals include enabling high-throughput, low-noise, and low-emission air transportation modes consistent with policy targets set by U.S. Department of Transportation and climate commitments referenced by White House initiatives. Objectives emphasize safety assurance aligned with Civil Aviation Authority-like oversight, equitable access mirrored in Department of Housing and Urban Development planning contexts, and economic analyses touching stakeholders such as Brookings Institution and RAND Corporation. The Project sets performance metrics for range, payload, noise, and emissions that inform investors like NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts partners and industrial programs at Boeing, Airbus, and Bell Textron.
Research spans propulsion architectures exemplified by companies like Rolls-Royce and GE Aviation, distributed electric propulsion studies related to MIT and Stanford University labs, and aerodynamic innovations comparable to historical programs at NASA Glenn Research Center. Vehicle concepts include multicopters, lift-plus-cruise designs, and compound rotorcraft derived from lessons in programs such as XV-15 and V-22 Osprey. Work integrates battery advancements influenced by laboratories at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and materials research from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, alongside avionics and autonomy systems from research groups at Carnegie Mellon University and University of Michigan.
The Project develops concepts for traffic management compatible with the NextGen (FAA) modernization and Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management pilots led by NASA Ames Research Center. It tests urban vertiport concepts coordinated with municipal planning authorities including Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Los Angeles World Airports, and aligns with airspace design studies referencing Chicago Department of Aviation. Research on detect-and-avoid, command-and-control, and spectrum use engages institutions like Federal Communications Commission and international partners represented through European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Civil Aviation Administration of China collaborations.
Safety research informs certification pathways that the Federal Aviation Administration and European Union Aviation Safety Agency may adopt, leveraging consensus standards from RTCA, Inc. and test methodologies advocated by National Transportation Safety Board case studies. Topics include human factors research drawing on Smithsonian Institution-hosted exhibits about flight, systems safety analyses reminiscent of methods used in Apollo program engineering, and noise certification approaches that reference metrics developed with International Civil Aviation Organization committees.
The Project has coordinated flight demonstrations and pilot programs with industry partners and research centers, conducting test campaigns at facilities such as Edwards Air Force Base and Wallops Flight Facility. Live demonstrations have included urban air mobility trials aligned with city stakeholders like Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and with participation from service providers connected to FAA UAS Integration Pilot Program. Data collected supports simulation efforts at NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division and modeling efforts used by think tanks like National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Collaboration extends across corporations including Honeywell Aerospace, Thales Group, and ThyssenKrupp, academic partners such as Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University, and international agencies like Transport Canada and Civil Aviation Administration of China. Engagement includes community outreach modeled on practices advocated by United Nations Human Settlements Programme and economic impact assessment partnerships with American Public Transportation Association and regional planning agencies. The Project’s multi-stakeholder approach informs policy dialogues in forums including Aviation Week conferences, Paris Air Show, and National League of Cities summits.
Category:Aviation technology