Aviation

The website I have chosen is: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-075-DFRC.html#.VPOmrPnF-So

Leading the charge to integrate UAS in into national airspace is, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, CA. The program goes by the name Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace System project, or UAS in the NAS. The main objective of the program is to reduce technical barriers related to safety and operational challenges associated with enabling routine UAS access to the NAS. The future if UAS is very bright. New uses are for UAS are consistently being developed. UAS promises new ways of increasing efficiency, reducing costs, enhancing safety and saving lives.

NASA is focusing on 5 sub-projects. These 5 focus areas include assurance of safe separation of UAS form manned aircraft when flying in NAS; safety-critical command and control systems, and radio frequencies to enable safe operation of UAS; human factor issues for ground control stations; airworthiness certification criteria for UAS and integrated test and evaluation designation to determine the viability of UAS technology.

Five focus areas of UAS integration in the NAS project include.

Separation Assurance

Assess how today's ground-based, controller-provided aircraft separation to fully autonomous airborne self-separation and planned NextGen separation assurance systems, with different functional allocations, perform for UAS in mixed operations with manned flight.

Communications

Development of data and rationale to obtain appropriate frequency spectrum allocations to enable safe and efficient operation of UAS in the NAS.

Human System Integration

Provide data and proof of concept for GCS, ground control station operations in the NAS.

Certification

Develop UAS classification scheme and approach to determining Federal Aviation Regulation airworthiness requirements applicable to all UAS digital avionics.

Integrated Test and Evaluation

Ensure...