The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has signed a Space Act agreement with NASA to work on projects to prepare the next generation of flight inside the Port District’s complex airspace.
The progression of flying technology, known as Urban Air Mobility (UAM), includes the use of drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles to move cargo and passengers.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was chosen for its operational knowledge of the constrained airspace around the region due to the operations of the agency’s three major airports and the potential strength of the regional market in the future of air travel.
NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is conducting lab and flight trials to investigate how such vehicles may function safely in an urban context.
Moreover, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which is interested in investigating the evolution of flight technology to better serve the region’s airport customers, will work as a liaison with airlines and other interested parties, assisting in the selection of scenarios for more NASA research.
