AT-One’s UAS ATC Validation Environment Presented at World ATM Congress

The ATM Research Alliance AT-One will demonstrate for the first time its new UAS/ATC validation environment at the World ATM Congress CANSO in Madrid, Feb 12-14, 2013. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR), who participate in AT-One, have finalized the joint development of their Unmanned Aircraft Ground Control Station. This setup can play a vital role in bringing UAS integration concepts to real flight trials in segregated airspace.

The Unmanned Aircraft Ground Control Station will contribute to the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) integration into non-segregated airspace, which is recognized as a major issue to be solved for future acceptance of UAS in air transport. Up to now most civil and military UAS operations are taking place in segregated airspace in order to ensure separation and collision avoidance with other traffic. This limits the exploitation of the potential capabilities of UAS; hence unmanned aircraft must be enabled to fly their mission in airspace where other traffic is operating as well. The integration must be safe, while adhering to operational practices that are compatible with those of manned aircraft by complying with the applicable regulations and standards.

AT-One’s flexible and modular UAS/ATC validation environment is designed to support the development of solutions to meet these challenges. The facilities have flexible interface capabilities (e.g. for compliancy with STANAG), are scalable and adaptable to meet specific validation goals for a wide variety of stakeholders.

AT-One is the research alliance combining the strength of DLR’s Institute of Flight Guidance and NLR's Air Transport Division. Both institutes have a long track record of providing innovative and independent Air Traffic Management research and implementation support.