NASA researchers can directly use UTME to evaluate tradeoffs when designing a UAS Traffic Management system. For example, in considering whether a UTM system should be sector-based or based on something else (such as UAS mission), researchers might consider the number of controllers that would be needed for both systems. UTME could provide an estimate that NASA researchers can use to compare the two systems. UTME could also be used by NASA to pinpoint areas of UAS operations where current research has not considered, thereby helping define the future NASA research program. Some of the tradeoffs that can be investigated by NASA researchers include: should communication between a UAS flying in a remote area and its pilot be relayed via other, higher-flying UAS aircraft? Or through a network of ground stations strategically located in different parts of remote regions? What latencies are observed with these two designs, and if the error rates are different, how large should the protection bubble be to ensure safe separation? The answer to these questions can help evaluate different UTM designs and provide direction for further research at NASA.
Once a UAS system is defined, UAS manufacturers would need an evaluation system to determine how their designs might perform in a UTM environment. UTME could therefore be used by commercial companies to determine whether changes in their design would be necessary, or, at the minimum, to identify the operating characteristics of their systems early enough in the design cycle to allow them to modify the design if needed. As a communication medium, UTME results could be shared with the public, members of Congress, or other decision makers to show the safety, performance, and environmental compliance of the proposed UTM system. As a commercial product, UTME could be configured with whatever UTM system NASA and FAA finally decide upon, allowing industry to vary the flight data (including flying their own aircraft in the virtual world), in order to understand the impacts of the UTM system on their aircraft. They can then use the results to modify their aircraft design in one or more dimensions to improve its performance vis-a-viz the UTM system.
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