Media Invited to Demonstrations of NASA Drone Traffic Management Technologies

News provided by

Jun 02, 2017, 11:21 ET

WASHINGTON, June 2, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's three-week national campaign to further test and refine its Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) technologies continues, and media are invited to see these technologies in action Tuesday, June 6, at four Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) test sites across the country.

The campaign, known as Technology Capability Level 2, began May 15, and focuses on flying small, remotely-operated aircraft, or drones, beyond the pilot's line of sight in sparsely populated areas to demonstrate, evaluate and refine functional designs and UTM technology prototypes.

Media attending the demonstrations will be able to talk with engineers, ask questions and, at some sites, watch an actual drone flight demonstration. All times listed below are EDT.

NASA's Ames Research Center, in California's Silicon Valley, will host media at the center's UTM Laboratory, which coordinates the test sites across the country. Representatives from NASA, the FAA, industry and test sites will explain UTM technologies in front of the UTM master display wall. To attend, media should contact Darryl Waller at 650-604-2675 or [email protected] by June 5, and arrive at 1 p.m. June 6 at Ames' Airspace Operations Lab (Bldg. N262) in Moffett Field, California.

To attend at the New York test site event, media must contact these individuals by 1 p.m. June 5, and arrive at 592 Hangar Road in Rome by 9:30 a.m. June 6:

Phil Vanno, 315-798-5800, [email protected]
Chad Lawrence, 315-736-4171, [email protected]

For media in North Dakota, contact one of the following people by June 6, and arrive at Robin Hall, located at 4275 University Ave. in Grand Forks by 11 a.m. June 6:

Jesse Bradley, 701-328-5300, [email protected]
Nick Flom, 701/777-6940, [email protected]

Media can attend tests in Texas by contacting Casandra Lorentson at 361-945-2771, 361-825-4039 or [email protected] by 6 p.m. June 5, and arrive at the Charles R. Johnson Airport in Port Mansfield by 11:30 a.m. June 6.

Media in Alaska must contact the following people by 5 p.m. June 5, and arrive at 903 Koyukuk Drive in Fairbanks by 2 p.m. June 6:

Lea Gardine, 907-474-7664, [email protected]
Lynda McGilvary, 907-474-7863, [email protected]

The FAA test site at Virginia Tech is unable to support a media event at this time. However, they have UTM project materials and b-roll of flight tests to share with local media and an option to conduct subject matter expert interviews by appointment. To receive these materials or schedule an interview, contact Eleanor Nelsen at 540-231-2761 or [email protected].

Because these test ranges have been reserved for the UTM flight campaign, no additional drones may be brought to the test site during this time.

NASA Ames will also host a Facebook Live event featuring UTM researchers on June 6 at 6 p.m. To watch the event live, visit:

http://www.facebook.com/nasaames

For information about NASA aeronautics, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics

J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241
[email protected]

Darryl Waller
Ames Research Center, California's Silicon Valley
650-604-2675
[email protected]

SOURCE NASA