The Smart-NAS Testbed was started by NASA under the Airspace Operations and Safety Program (AOSP) with the goal of becoming a platform to accelerate the transformation of the NAS. The need for this platform was necessitated by the slow rate at which new technologies and procedures are adopted into the NAS and the difficulty of validating the benefits and operational readiness of new technologies across the entire NAS and the context of other systems and operations. SMART-NAS will provide the ability to robustly prove new systems and ideas accelerating their entry into the NAS.
The technical challenge of the SMART-NAS test bed comes from developing a simulation and test environment suitable for conducting the credible mid and high-fidelity evaluations of NextGen NAS concepts, and architectures and technologies that the requirements of both the FAA and NASA ARMD time-tables.
In order to meet this challenge, LaRC has made a tremendous effort on multiple fronts that include:
- Stood up SMART-NAS Development Lab
- Fully Integrated disparate simulation with NASA AWS Cloud using commercial DDS middleware platform and simulators running both locally and in the Cloud
- Integrated Live flight assets (SR-22 UAS Surrogate) in a distributed (with West Coast) test environment with simulated aircraft and live FAA data feeds
- Integration with CMF LaSRS++ high fidelity simulation
- Continuing integration with LaRC High-Performance Computing Cluster
- Incorporation of FAA System-Wide Information Network live feed (NAS live traffic and weather)
- Development of nation wide high fidelity distributed display capability
- Initiation of effort to fully integrate live medium size UAS aircraft
- Joint activities with Center CDT initiative
Tech POC: Neil O’Connor