As America’s air traffic control (ATC) system faces scrutiny for staffing shortages and antiquated equipment, NASA is working to prepare controllers for a new generation of self-flying aircraft.
Wisk Aero, the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) subsidiary of Boeing, on Tuesday announced that NASA awarded it a non-reimbursable Space Act agreement (NRSAA) to explore the integration of autonomous aircraft—like its Generation 6 air taxi—in the National Airspace System (NAS) under IFR.
The five-year collaboration, piggybacking off the partners’ initial agreement in 2020, will see Wisk and NASA study future uncrewed operations through live flights in NASA’s Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) simulated airspace. The effort will be led by NASA’s Air Traffic Management Exploration (ATM-X) project, part of a larger initiative to prepare the airspace for the coming wave of self-flying and other advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft. Its findings could guide new AAM requirements, procedures, and infrastructure.
“With NASA’s simulation and LVC capabilities, we can accelerate the development of our Gen 6 autonomous systems to safely and efficiently integrate into the U.S. NAS before the end of the decade,” said Erick Corona, director of airspace operational integration for Wisk, in remarks accompanying Tuesday’s announcement.
As the developer of what it bills as the country’s first self-flying air taxi, Wisk has plenty of skin in the game. Unlike other eVTOL air taxis, its four-seat Gen 6 will be certified as autonomous from the jump. The aircraft flies remotely, monitored by supervisors on the ground who can intervene if needed.
With a range of 90 sm (78 nm) with reserves, cruise speed of 120 knots, and charge time of 15 minutes, the model is designed for short-hop passenger flights within cities. Wisk is working with local partners to fly it in Los Angeles, Sugar Land, Texas, and potentially even Brisbane, Australia at the 2032 Summer Olympic Games.
The new collaboration should help Wisk hit its end-of-decade commercial service target. It could also inform rules and regulations for other air taxi developers. Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, for example, plan for a pilot to fly their air taxis when they enter service as soon as this year. But both are eyeing autonomous variants of their flagship models.
Wisk’s work could set the table for those firms to make the transition smoothly. Its goal is to develop guidance for AAM airspace and routes, requirements for aircraft and ground safety, and protocols for ATC communications covering aircraft without an onboard pilot.
“This new, long-term agreement with NASA is a significant step forward for Wisk and the broader [urban air mobility] industry,” said Corona.
Wisk and NASA’s relationship dates back to 2020, when they signed a first Space Act agreement. The partners have since studied procedures for automated precision approach and landing and the ways ATC communicates with uncrewed aircraft flying under IFR.
Wisk in 2024 also participated alongside Joby and Archer in an air taxi noise study—one of several AAM research areas for NASA.
Joby’s air taxi, for instance, served as the test vehicle for the agency’s first eVTOL flight in 2021 and has since been used to model noise, wind, and mixed traffic at Dallas-Fort Worth International (KDFW)—one of the world’s busiest airports. Other NASA efforts have focused on air taxi ride quality and passenger comfort, safety, and infrastructure such as vertiports.
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