Tuesday, NASA researchers carried out their first forest test flight mission, using their new airspace management technology.
In the beautiful foothills of Salinas, NASA researchers based in the Research Center Ames in Mountain View had transformed this private land into their own live experience.
Their mission is to help crews to fight air and night air fires, sending all types of planes in the sky 24/7. Currently, pilots cannot fly at night or in heavy smoke, which limits fire fighting efforts.
“It is something that I spent years speaking to firefighters from different agencies and it is really exciting to see, you know, see the drones take off. And then, see the real live display, not the simulated data but the real live location of all these parts followed in our system,” said Kathryn Chapman, Nasa Acero Partner Project Manager for partnerships.
One of NASA’s launch sites was on damaged land. They deliberately chose this distant place due to the hills, vegetation and low cellular service.
“The operator of the floor station here will regain control of the plane and pilot the flight plan that we have dispersed there. It is therefore a model of lawn mower and going back and forth through the hill, and the goal is to simulate a prescribed burning project”, Jonas Jonsson, Nasa Acero Field and Flight Evaluation Manager. Jonsson is also the mission manager of this specific project.
NASA tests its portable aircraft management system or its WFPs to ensure that drones and helicopters controlled remotely remain inside their approved flight trajectories, forest operating zones and, of course, avoid any collision in the air.
By first making sure that the communication of their plane takes place smoothly, they can then securely deploy drones and aircraft controlled at a distance at night and in heavy smoke. This is something that they have never been able to do before.
It is crucial to extend the time crews to fight fires and can make all the difference to prevent a forest fire from becoming uncontrollable.
NASA researchers said this mission was significant and personal.
“This project is super personal for me,” said Spencer Monheim, second -quarter -quarter -quarter project manager. “I grew up in southern California. I was evacuated. I live in a canyon where each year you get fires. And therefore, be able to help with this project and help our end users is really a simple dream come true.”
“This is not a very good motivation for the morning when you get up at 5 am or something to leave and do the flight tests. You know you do it for a good cause,” said Jonsson.
For NASA researchers, they said that this mission was not only enriching, but brings them a stage of reality. They hope that firefighters will soon be able to start using their new technology in the field.
