Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) for Enabling Low Altitude Civilian Applications Element

The goal of Unmanned Aerial System Traffic Management (UTM) is to enable safe and efficient low-altitude airspace operations. Unmanned Aerial System Traffic Management (UTM) will provide services such as airspace design and dynamic configuration, dynamic geo-fencing, severe weather and wind avoidance, congestion management, terrain avoidance, route planning and re-routing, separation management, sequencing and spacing, and contingency management. Using lessons learned from today's Air Traffic Management System, UTM functions and requirements would be developed. UTM is essential to enable the accelerated development and use of civilian UAS applications, and will support UAS ranging from those with minimal avionics capability, to those that are highly capable and/or autonomous. The near-term goal (1-5 years) is to safely enable low-altitude airspace and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) operations. The long-term goal (10-15 years) is to safely enable massively anticipated density of low-altitude airspace and UAS operations. The designs for short-term and long-term goals and density profiles may not be the same. By one account, there will be 70,000 operations by 2035 and some argue even this number is underestimated (Volpe report).