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| NASA Preparing for Fourth Series of Flight Tests of Unmanned Aircraft | NASA |
Title: Alternative Airborne Surveillance Systems for Beyond Visual Line of Sight Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detect and Avoid Sol. #: NND16828627L Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office: Armstrong Flight Research Center Location: Office of Procurement Posted On: Jun 10, 2016 5:24 pm Base Type: Sources Sought Link: https://www.fbo.gov/spg/NASA/DFRC/OPDC20220/NND16828627L/listing.html -------------------------------------------------------
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Added: Jun 10, 2016 5:24 pm
Alternative Airborne Surveillance Systems for Beyond Visual Line of Sight Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detect and AvoidRequest for Information
This Request for Information (RFI) is issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Armstrong Flight Research Center to solicit responses from interested parties. This document is forinformation and planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition. Prospective offerors are invited to submit written comments or questions to: UAS-NAS Project Team, Email afrc-uas-nas@mail.nasa.gov.
When responding reference "Alternative Airborne Surveillance Systems for Beyond Visual Line of Sight UAS Detect and Avoid".
This presolicitation/request for information synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response. Respondents will not be notified of the results.
NASA is seeking information for potential sources and partners for
the development and testing of alternative airborne surveillance systems
for UAS detect and avoid (DAA) operating beyond visual line of sight
(BVLOS) under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) in airspace Classes D, E,
and G.
Background:
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration in the National Airspace System (NAS) (UAS-NAS) Project within the Integrated Aviation Systems Program of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate is soliciting information through this Request for Information (RFI) in support of the next phase of the project from FY17 - FY20. The Project goal is to provide research findings supporting the development and validation of detect and avoid (DAA) and command and control (C2) technologies necessary for integrating UAS into the NAS with airborne system tests.The next phase of the UAS-NAS Project will continue to focus on DAA and C2 technologies that are ready to be transitioned to implementation on unmanned vehicles, specifically to develop RTCA Special Committee (SC) - 228 Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS). To that end, integrated flight tests in FY18 and FY19 and simulations throughout the project are planned to support the development of the standards. This RFI will focus on airborne DAA sensors. A separate RFI will focus on Ground Based Sense and Avoid technologies.
The project will utilize the RFI responses to gauge the industry state-of-the-art for DAA technologies, assessment of technology readiness levels, and determination of a future partnership strategy to accomplish research leading to DAA standards.
RTCA SC-228 is currently finalizing Phase 1 MOPS for DAA systems for large unmanned aircraft (UA) that could "fly in airspace normally frequented by commercial transport aircraft... and...are capable of carrying relatively large and high-power sensor systems such as primary radar." Phase 2 MOPS is scheduled to commence development in 2016 and will encompass a broad range of civil UAS capable of operations Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). These operations, at a minimum will take place in Class D, E and G, but could take place in all classes of airspace for the entire duration of a flight (i.e., extended operations). The Phase 2 MOPS will also consider DAA requirements for both towered and non-towered airfields, and off-airfield recovery sites within Class G airspace.
The focus of this RFI is to understand the state-of-the-art of
potential airborne substitutes of the Phase 1 surveillance sensors that
require less size, weight, and power (SWaP). Applicable sensors would be
relevant to UAs operating under IFR at or above 500 feet and BVLOS that
are unable to carry a large surveillance sensor but still need to
surveil their surroundings and detect other aircraft. Examples of these
technologies include, but are not limited to, electro-optical/infrared
(EO/IR), light detection and ranging (LIDAR), relatively reduced SWaP
radar, or relatively reduced SWaP Automatic Dependent
Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B).
These surveillance systems will be tested in order to develop,
verify, and validate DAA/surveillance Phase 2 MOPS draft performance
requirements by collecting performance data in relevant laboratory
simulations and flight environments. The results of this testing may
necessitate the modification of the surveillance system and/or proposing
modifications to the draft DAA/surveillance performance requirements.
In addition, NASA is seeking information about unmanned or
optionally-piloted aircraft owned by the responder or responding
partners where these technologies are currently being, or could
potentially be, installed for flight testing activities. Information of
interest pertaining to unmanned or optionally-piloted aircraft includes
aircraft size, aircraft equipage, ground-control station information,
and speed/altitude/turn aircraft performance envelope. Additional
specific information is provided below.
The intended partnership
between NASA and one or more industry partners will jointly: develop the
concepts for integration of the surveillance system into a DAA system,
perform simulation experiments with computer models of the surveillance
system, and execute flight testing of surveillance system in a relevant
environment. The development and testing of an alternative airborne
surveillance system is targeted for all classes of UAS able to operate
under IFR, at or above 500 ft., and BVLOS.
Qualified providers are considered to be U.S. commercial entities
that are established and recognized manufacturers of avionics equipment
and/or associated communication/navigation/surveillance hardware, who
have previous history in the successful development of air traffic
surveillance systems.
Interested companies are invited to submit specific information on any or all of the following topics:
- Candidate surveillance systems that meet the intent of this RFI, their
technologies, performance, and limitations. Discussions should include
topics such as: update rates, surveillance field of regard and range
(minimum and maximum), maximum number of detected/tracked intruders,
minimize intruder size, Interface Control Document (ICD) inputs and
outputs, track integration and filtering, environmental/airspace
limitations, latencies, installation requirements, detection accuracy,
available computer models, test conditions, and pertinent test results. - Any unmanned/optionally-piloted aircraft that is equipped or could be
equipped with candidate system, if applicable. Discussions should
include aircraft size, aircraft equipage (ADS-B, Traffic Alert and
Collision Avoidance (TCAS)-I, TCAS-II, differential Global Positioning
System (dGPS), etc.), endurance, ground-control station information,
speed/altitude/turn aircraft performance envelope, command and control,
navigation, i.e. waypoint and/or autopilot holds, and on-board data
logging. - Include both ground and flight test data of the respective surveillance system (if available).
- Possible airborne surveillance system architectures for UAS DAA systems.
- Discuss relevant company experience in developing and civil certification of this system, or similar systems.
- The company's potential to provide their sensor, ICD, integration
support, etc. to NASA as an in-kind partnership in exchange for Flight
Test. Companies should be willing to allow NASA to use the data in
support of MOPS.
or 5-page document per sensor. The same limit applies to aircraft
information, if applicable. Submissions exceeding these limits will not
be considered. Keeping responses as consolidated as possible is
encouraged.
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