www.nasa.gov | 1 

 

NASA Aeronautics Update 

Robert Pearce, Deputy Associate Administrator 

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate 

November 14, 2018 
www.nasa.gov | 2 

 

 

 

 

Market: High Altitude, Long Endurance UAS Upper E 

| 2 

Class A 

Airspace 

Airspace 

U.S.A. 

Asia 

Supersonic 

Aircraft 

Market: Thin/Short Haul 

Subsonic 

Aircraft 

Market: Large Transport & Large UAS 

Market: Small / Medium UAS 

Market: Urban Air Mobility 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Major Transitions for NASA Aeronautics 

• Completion of Advanced Composites Project in FY2019 

• Completion of ATM Technology Demonstrations Project (ATD) in 

FY2020 

• Completion of UAS in the NAS Project in FY2020 

• Completion of UTM Project in FY2020 

• New ATM-X and SWS Projects paving the way for what’s next for

NASA technology development in NAS Ops and In-Time Safety

Management 

• Expect to start a new project in FY2020 to tackle Urban Air

Mobility as next step beyond UAS in the NAS and UTM 

• X-59 First Flight planned for FY2021 as part of the Low Boom

Flight Demonstration Mission 

www.nasa.gov | 3 
 

 

 

 

 

 

ARMD Budget Trend (FY 2009 to FY 2019) 

• Beginning in FY 2015, Congress has consistently appropriated funding up to 18% over the 

President’s budget. 

• Congress has been fully supportive of NASA Aeronautics Strategy 

– FY 19 Senate and House Appropriations Reports (House Report 115-704, Senate Report 115-275) fully fund 

ARMD’s proposed content, and both conference reports call for higher levels of funding than the FY19 PBR. 

– The proposed companion bills titled Aeronautics Innovation Act (S.2977 and H.R. 3033) states, “NASA 

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s 6 strategic thrusts are effective and necessary research areas 

for the development of next generation aeronautics technology that will preserve the United States lead in the 

global aviation industry.” 

1/ 

1/ FY19 enacted amount represents the average of the House and Senate mark ups 

www.nasa.gov | 4 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Urban Air Mobility Rapidly Developing 

Just in This Year........ 

• 2nd Uber Elevate Summit in L.A. 

- Attended by well over 1,000 people with Uber announcing the new 6th vehicle 

development partner, Karem Airacrft in addition to the five existing partners (Aurora 

Flight Sciences, Embraer, Bell, Pipistrel Aircraft, and Mooney) 

• Boeing announces formation of Boeing NeXt at Farnborough Air Show to take 

a lead position in Urban Air Mobility 

- Leverage Boeing HorizonX and acquisiton of Aurora Flight Sciences to accelerate 

progress 

• Rolls Royce and Aston Martin announced plan to develop UAM vehicles at 

Farnborough Air Show 

• Airbus formed a new UAM business unit in May 

• Japanese government announced a plan to invest $40M to accelerate UAM 

development 

- Boeing, Bell, and Uber are participating. 

• Well funded new entrants continue vehicle development and flight test 

- Kitty Hawk Cora, Joby S4, Terrafugia TF-2, Lilium Jet, etc 

UAM Community is developing rapidly and seeking NASA leadership 

www.nasa.gov | 5 Pre-decisional - For Federal Government Internal Use Only 
 

 

 

 

 

 

UAM Framework and Barriers 

UAM Ports 

Autonomy 

Noise 

Safety 

Affordability 

Security 

1. Safe ATM Ops 

2. Efficient ATM Ops 

3. Scalable ATM Ops 

4. Fleet Management 

5. Urban Weather Prediction 

1. Vehicle Design & Integration 

2. Airworthiness Standards & 

Certification 

3. Manufacturing 

4. Vehicle Noise 

5. Weather-Tolerant Vehicles 

6. Cabin Acceptability 

1. Airspace Design 

2. Operational Rules, Roles, & 

Procedures 

3. CNS & Control Facility 

Infrastructure 

4. UAM Port Design 

1. Safe Urban Flight Management 

2. Scalable Vehicle Ops 

3. Certification & Ops Approval 

4. Ground Ops & Maintenance 

1. Public Acceptance 

2. Supporting Infrastructure 

3. Operational Integration 

4. Local Regulatory 

Environment & Liability 

Regulations/Certification 

www.nasa.gov | 6 
ww a. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand Challenge Series Framework 

Vehicles 

functional UAM vehicles with 

threshold level of demonstrated 

airworthiness 

Airspace Management 

airspace and air traffic management 

technologies and services (FAA ATM + 

UTM) built and simulated to a 

threshold level of UAM ATM 

requirements 

Common Safety and Integration Scenarios 

airworthiness processes, realistic UAM scenarios, and a range(s) 

designed in concert with the FAA to support UAM testing 

NASA 

Systems & 

Interfaces 

ATM-X UAM ATM, 

“Testbed/LVC” 

Stakeholder Integration 

societal integration and acceptance of UAM Operations including public acceptance, supporting infrastructure, 

operational integration, standards organizations, the local regulatory environment, etc. 

w .nas gov Industry Provided | 7 NASA Provided Ecosystem Wide Support 
www.nas a.gov | 8

 

 

 

Low Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD) Mission 

• LBFD Project: 

– Awarded aircraft design/build contract 

– On track for baselining Project in Q1 FY19 (KDP C) 

– First flight planned for Q3 FY21 

• CST Project: 

– Continues to mature signature analysis and uncertainty quantification tools 

– Flight activities using NASA F/A-18 to support Community Response Testing planning and 

maturing the design of experiments 

• Flight testing in Galveston, TX during November 2018 will build on successful flight campaigns at AFRC 

(2011) and KSFC (2017) 

• FDC Project: 

– Initial planning for LBFD Phase 3 Flight Operations complete 

– Flight assets to support in-flight data measurement 

and chase identified 

CAEP Timeline 

Meeting 

FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26 FY27 FY28 

Initial Data 

Delivery 

for CAEP 13 

CAEP 13 

Meeting 

Final 

Data Delivery 

for CAEP 14 

CAEP 14 

Nominal Schedule (LBFD 70% JCL) 

LBFD 

CST 

SAR Complete 

Acoustic Validation 

Complete 

Initial Database 

Complete 

Full US Database 

Community Test Readiness Review Flight 

Test 1 

Final 

Data 

Prep 

Flight 

Test 2 

Flight 

Test 3 

Flight 

Test 4 

Flight 

Test 5 

Schedule 

Buffer