REDAC / NAS Ops

Enterprise Concept Development

BLI Number: 1A11A

Presenter Name: Steve Bradford, ANG-3

Date: August 31th, 2021

Review of FY 2021 - 2024 Proposed Portfolio
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What are the benefits to the FAA

• The Enterprise Concept Development program is used to identify and assess early NextGen concepts and conduct 

validation activities (i.e., modeling and real-time simulations) that will transform the National Airspace System (NAS) into 

the Next Generation of the NAS. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, trajectory-based coordination, the use 

of artificial intelligence in the NAS and the potential of unmanned aircraft systems for urban transportation. When 

appropriate, concept activities will be considered from a global perspective including International Civil Aviation 

Organization (ICAO) requirements for global aircraft tracking and network communication. 

• Validated operational concepts and feedback from stakeholders have led to advancements in research and preimplementation work to determine the feasibility of advanced concepts and maximize benefits and flexibility for NAS 

users.

• This program executes research, engineering analysis, demonstrations and evaluations in support of service analysis 

and strategic planning.

What determines program success

• This program is necessary to assess the feasibility of proposed NextGen capabilities during the early phases of the 

Acquisition Management Systems lifecycle. The program develops and conducts studies that prove out NAS concepts 

to ensure feasibility and viability within the NAS.

Enterprise Concept Development

Overview
Enterprise Concept – FY21 Accomplishments

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Under Enterprise Concept Portfolio construct the following are some of 

the major accomplishments in FY21:

• Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Initial Concept of Operations v1.0

• Established UAM Concept of Operations, UAM Use Cases and Scenarios 

Repository, and Reference Document

• Extensible Traffic Management (xTM) Framework Analysis Initial Principles and 

Assumptions Document
Trajectory Based Operations (TBO) Concept

The program plans to develop operational scenarios and vignettes that help put the 2035 Vision for Air Traffic 

Management Services in an operational context and use these to develop a Level I concept of operations that 

corresponds to the 2035 Vision.

Planned Research Activities

• Planned activities will conclude in FY22 Q2

• Concept of Operations for ATM Services in 2035

• Complete development of initial requirements document for trajectory collaboration and NAS application

Expected Research Products

• Initial Concept of Operations for Dynamic TBO, Use-Cases, and Scenarios

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Extensible Traffic Management (xTM) Framework Analysis

This project will investigate and analyze future Extensible Traffic Management (xTM) services that allow for new 

entrant operations and technologies to co-exist with conventional Air Traffic Services (ATS), by the sharing of 

fully integrated and interoperable digital information. It will address the operations of select new entrants within 

dynamically segregated airspace. The project's operational analysis and engineering activities will focus on the 

initial development of an xTM framework that will extend traffic management services to new entrants (1) beyond 

those currently provided by Air Traffic Control & Traffic Flow Management (2) that leverage Internet and wireless 

technologies to provide full connectivity; and (3) that are scalable and can be offered to new emerging markets.

Planned Research Activities

• xTM Analysis & Framework Development

• Perform validation exercises with xTM Subject Matter Experts

Expected Research Products

• Initial xTM Framework Analysis Document 

• UTM/ETM/UAM/ATM Tabletop Exercise Report 

• xTM Operational View Document

• xTM Framework Document

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Anticipated Research in FY23

Planned Research Activities 

• Develop detail operational scenarios for the seamless integration of xTM in the 2030-2035 timeframe

• Planned Research activities will be in support of Extensible Traffic Management (xTM) Engineering Efforts
Emerging FY24 Focal Areas

• Plans to evaluate future concept activities to support integration of emerging technologies into the 

NAS, but are not limited to, trajectory-based coordination, the use of artificial intelligence in the 

NAS and the potential of unmanned aircraft systems for urban transportation. 

• Concept activities will be considered from a global perspective including International Civil Aviation 

Organization requirements for global aircraft tracking and network communication. 

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Backup Slides

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Weather Program 9

1A11A – G05A.02-10 - Enterprise Concept 

Development – F&E

FY 2024 Planned Research

Research Requirement Outputs/Outcomes

Out Year Funding Requirements

FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

$1.5M $1.5M $1.5M $1.5M $1.5M $1.5M

• Finalized UAM Concept of Operations

• TBO Concept of Operations for capabilities associated with 

incorporation of operator and pilot preferences

• xTM Analysis & Framework Development

• Continued Planned research activities for Artificial 

Intelligence for the NAS

• Evaluation of AI applications to support ATM and NAS 

operations 

• Continued Planned Concept work for Dynamic TBO

• Update the Vision 2035 2.0 CONOPs

This program will validate new concepts and generate 

information supporting the validity of identified capability 

shortfalls, future service needs, and capability requirements 

that will foster increased system capacity, efficiency, and 

throughput. Validated operational concepts will identify 

technical and operational requirements (including airspace, 

procedures, and automation requirements needed to realize 

the capacity gains.
Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Concept Development

The objective of the UAM project is to develop a concept for immediate and flexible air transportation within a 

metropolitan area consisting of passenger-carrying operations. UAM enables unmanned vehicles with 

passengers to travel within an urban and metropolis environment at lower altitudes. UAM vehicles are assumed 

to require various degrees of autonomous operations to reach their full potential as the concepts are 

implemented and the market develops. The outcomes of this project will support the initial engineering and 

system prototype development effort for UAM, leading to future demonstrations to support concept maturity.

Planned Research Activities

• Activities for UAM Concept Development are concluding in Q2 FY21 and will be transitioning to the UAS 

portfolio

• Final UAM Concept of Operations v1.0 (see accomplishments)

• UAM Use Cases and Scenarios Repository and Reference Document (see accomplishments)

Expected Research Products

• UAM Demonstration

Requested Research Products

• UAM Concept of Operations: https://nari.arc.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/UAM_ConOps_v1.0.pdf

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Class E Upper Airspace Management (ETM) 

Concept Development

The objective of the ETM project is to conduct research, analyze and develop concepts for future 

operations above FL600. While current Class E (upper airspace) regulations are predicated on 

traditional airspace usage, increasing commercial interests and the advent of new technologies 

present new challenges for the diversified operations within this airspace. ETM is an airspace 

management concept that describes a vision for future Class E (upper airspace) operations, 

encompassing a wide range of operational mission characteristics in this airspace; including 

geostationary, extreme velocity and long duration operations. 

Planned Research Activities

• Phase 1 Activities have concluded in FY20 

• ETM Demonstration

Expected Research Products 

• HALE cooperative separation

• Flexible Floor Environment

Requested Products 

• ETM Concept of Operations: https://nari.arc.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/ETM_ConOps_V1.0.pdf

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NextGen Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Modernization

The objective of NOTAM Modernization is to provide flight critical information on a timely basis that is more 

current than other regularly scheduled publications can provide. NOTAM information may inform NAS users 

about a wide range of changing operational environmental factors including time critical delays, corrections or 

changes to previously published data concerning navigational aids, Airport Traffic Control Towers (ATCT) hours 

of service changes, surface or airspace changes in hours of operations, Remote Communications Outlet 

(RCO) status, weather reporting station availability, public airport openings and closings, Aircraft Rescue and 

Firefighting (ARFF) capability and restrictions, changes in runway characteristics or conditions, NAS lighting 

systems changes. The currency, availability, accessibility of NOTAMs is necessary for both the efficiency and 

safety of flight operations across the NAS.

Planned Research Activities

• Activities concluding in Q1FY21

Expected Research Products

• Software Package Technical Analysis

• Initial NOTAM Engineering Analysis

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