NASA has signed a second space act agreement with Uber to further explore concepts and technologies related to urban air mobility (UAM).
NASA has signed a second space act agreement with Uber to further explore concepts and technologies related to urban air mobility (UAM) as part of an effort to ensure a safe and efficient system for future air transportation in populated areas.
The announcement coincided with Uber's Second Annual Elevate Summit, being held in Los Angeles on 8th - 9th May. The event — held for the first time in Dallas last year — brings together vehicle manufacturers, regulators, investors, technology suppliers, and federal & local policy makers to explore the future of urban aviation.
Under the agreement with NASA, Uber will share its plans for implementing an urban aviation rideshare network. NASA will use the latest in airspace management computer modeling and simulation to assess the impacts of small aircraft – from delivery drones to passenger aircraft with vertical take-off and landing capability – in crowded environments.
This is NASA’s first such agreement specifically focused on modeling and simulation for UAM operations.
NASA says it will use the data supplied by Uber to simulate a small passenger-carrying aircraft as it flies through Dallas Fort Worth airspace during peak scheduled air traffic. Analysis of these simulations will identify safety issues as these new aircraft take to the air in a crowded air traffic control system.