National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Small Business Innovation Research 2002 Program Solicitations

TOPIC A3 Airspace Systems

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A3.01 Small Aircraft Transportation System Technologies
A3.02 21st Century Air-Traffic Management

NASA's Airspace Systems (AS) program is investing in development of revolutionary improvements and modernization for the air traffic management (ATM) system. The AS Program will enable new aircraft, new aircraft technologies and air traffic technology to safely maximize operational efficiency, flexibility, predictability and access into airspace systems. The major challenges are to accommodate projected growth in air traffic while preserving and enhancing safety; provide all airspace system users more flexibility and efficiency in the use of airports, airspace and aircraft; reduce system delays; enable new modes of operation that support the FAA commitment to "Free Flight" and maintain pace with a continually evolving technical environment and provides for doorstep to destination transportation developments. AS Program objectives are: Improve mobility, capacity, efficiency and access of the airspace system; Improve collaboration, predictability and flexibility for the airspace users; Enable runway-independent aircraft and general aviation operations; and Maintain system safety and environmental protection. NASA is working to develop, validate and transfer advanced concepts, technologies and procedures through partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), other government agencies and in cooperation with the U.S. aeronautics industry.

A3.01 Small Aircraft Transportation System Technologies
Lead Center: LaRC

NASA seeks innovative technologies to support advances for small aircraft transportation systems that substantially increase the demand for retrofit of existing aircraft, new aircraft and airport and airspace utilization. Of specific interest are advanced, affordable, certifiable technologies for human-factors engineered display of flight information for total situational awareness and simplified integration of flight controls with displays and propulsion systems. In addition, innovations are desired in cost-effective, user-friendly improvements in the graphical display of weather, traffic, and National Airspace System (NAS) facilities’ information services in the cockpit. NASA also seeks innovations in manufacturing methods and materials that can radically reduce the unit cost of small aircraft. Specifically, proposals are sought for the following areas:

Aircraft Configuration
Advanced concepts that reduce the landing speed for FAR Part 23 aircraft under 6,000 pounds. Advanced concepts for roadable aircraft are also desired. This category must include a sound business plan outline for production, with a technical plan providing for compatibility with the emerging National Airspace System architecture and a certification plan to meet at least one of the following applicable FARs: Part 103 (Ultra-lite vehicle), Part 21.24 (Primary Category Aircraft), Part 23 (Certified Aircraft) or Part 27 (Rotorcraft), or Part 21.191 Advisory Circular AC No: 20-27 series (Experimental Homebuilt Aircraft).

Flight System Technologies, Information Systems and Pilot Vehicle Interface
Cost-effective advances in emerging navigation and graphical weather displays, flightpath management and energy management guidence, graphical depiction methods, intuitive cockpit display systems with emphasis on pilot-display interface, flight controls, voice interface, portable and wearable display technologies, communications and human factors engineering technologies to aid pilot decision-making and to reduce cockpit workload.

Certifiable Off-the-Shelf System Hardware and Software
Affordable cockpit systems including sensors, attitude-heading reference systems, terrain, obstacle, and hazardous weather avoidance systems, and applications for standardized data bus system architectures such as firmware, software, design and maintenance tools, and flight information and management products for airplane systems status and flight planning.

Airspace Infrastructure
Algorithms and displays for traffic conflict detection, alerting, and resolution to support airborne self-separation concepts, advances and innovations in digital high-speed, high-bandwidth communications, and intelligent system design for automated, collaborative decision making, and systems for collision avoidance.

Integrated Design and Manufacturing
Innovative manufacturing methods and materials providing significant advances in the cost, safety, weight, and cabin comfort for general aviation aircraft through materials technology, structural designs and assembly, and crash-worthiness. All proposals should include supportability plans (support infrastructure, maintenance requirements, operations, and training), certification plans (cite specific FARs), compatibility with current and future airspace architecture, and a clear path to commercialization.

A3.02 21st Century Air-Traffic Management
Lead Center: ARC
Participating Center(s): DFRC, LaRC

The challenges in Air Traffic Management (ATM) are to create the next generation system and to develop the optimal plan for transitioning to the future system. This system should be one that (1) economically moves people and goods from origin to destination on schedule; (2) operates without fatalities or injuries resulting from system or human errors or terrorist intervention; (3) seamlessly supports the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs); (4) is environmentally compatible; (5) supports an integrated national transportation system and is harmonized with global transportation. This can only be achieved by developing ATM concepts characterized by increased automation and distributed responsibilities. It requires a new look at the way airspace is managed and the automation of some controller functions, thereby intensifying the need for a careful integration of machine and human performance. As these new automated and distributed systems are developed, security issues need to be addressed as early in the design phase as possible. To meet these challenges, innovative and economically attractive approaches are sought to advance tech-nologies in the following areas:

• Decision support tools (DST) to assist pilots, controllers and dispatchers in all parts of the airspace (surface, terminal, enroute, command center)
• Integration of DST across different airspace domains
• Next generation simulation and modeling capability: models of uncertainty and complexity, National Airspace System (NAS) operational performance, economic impact
• Distributed decision-making
• Security of advanced ATM systems
• System robustness and safety: sensor failure, threat mitigation, health monitoring
• Weather modeling and improved trajectory estimation for traffic management applications
• Role of data exchange and data link in collaborative decision-making
• Modeling of the NAS
• Distributed complex, real-time simulations: components with different levels of fidelity, human-in-the-loop decision agents
• Environmentally friendly ATM and aircraft operations
• Automation concepts for advanced ATM systems
• Application of methodologies from other domains to address ATM research issues
• Intelligent software architecture
• Runway-independent (e.g., VTOL, STOL, and V/STOL) aircraft technologies required to meet national air transportation needs and to satisfy requirements for airline productivity, passenger acceptance, and community-friendliness
• Intermodal transportation technologies
• Technologies fostering the operation of unpiloted aircraft within NAS under control of the ATM system, including, but not limited to innovative control, navigation, & surveillance (CNS) concepts

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