Higher, Farther, Safer: AURA Network System Enables Autonomous Flight in Controlled Airspace
Creator: Dawn Zoldy (Colonel, USAF Veteran)
They say communication is key. This adage applies not only to life in general, but also to the integration of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) into the US National Airspace System (NAS).
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More than a decade ago, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) identified the need for UAS-specific aviation communications capabilities and related policies to enable regular commercial flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). made possible. controlled airspace. Achieving this requires both the frequency spectrum allocated to the civilian he UAS control and non-payload communications (CNPC) link (the link between the UAS and pilots on the ground) and the associated minimum performance standards. They said it would be They drive relevant UAS communications policies and guidance.
Based in McLean, Virginia AURA (Advanced Ultra Reliable Aviation) network system We have spearheaded efforts to meet these needs. The company received the first Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license for FAA-compliant aviation spectrum to create dedicated communications channels for manned and unmanned aviation, including CNPC data and voice services. It enables communication between autonomous and conventional aircraft over specialized, reliable, and secure private networks. The company has also worked on related policy and research and development (R&D) efforts. Goal: Unlock broad BVLOS autonomous air operations in controlled airspace. To achieve this goal, AURA has completed $75 million in funding, including investments from Fortress Investment Group, Madrick Capital Management and Tracker Capital Management.
communication first
For the FAA, safety remains one of NAS’s jobs. Unmanned BVLOS flights raise new safety concerns because they don’t have pilots on board who can see and avoid obstacles. The UAS operator needs special FAA authorization to operate her BVLOS flights on a regular basis.
To obtain these approvals, operators must demonstrate reliable and robust command and control (C2). A key component of this C2 has to do with the CNPC link. These links provide critical safety data between pilots on the ground and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAs).
These CNPC links must demonstrate compliance with RTCA DO-377A. Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards for C2 Link Systems Supporting Unmanned Aerial System Operations in U.S. Airspace, and related performance criteria. The type of information in this 310-page standard address that the C2 Link system must exchange includes both:
- Commands from Remote Pilot – means commands sent from the Ground Control Station (GCS) to the UAS over the forward link.When
- All status and data from the UAS (such as telemetry data sent over the return link from the UAS to the GCS) are required to allow the pilot to operate the UA in a manner that protects people and property from harm. .
There are several ways to meet RTCA DO-377A, but licensed spectrum makes all the difference. Bill Tolpegin, CEO of AURA Network Systems, said, “He never sees a C2 gap during the BVLOS flight.”
He continues: It’s one thing when it happens in the second or third verse. It’s a whole different story when an aircraft weighing as much as a ton and flying hundreds of miles per hour over an urban area is involved in signal loss. ”
By developing specific technology and building a network dedicated to aviation using FCC-licensed greenfield aviation spectrum, AURA hopes to accelerate the deployment timelines of autonomous industries for regular commercial BVLOS operations. I am planning.
Differences in licensed spectrum
Torpegin understands the spectrum. Prior to taking charge of AURA, he served as CEO of the C-Band Alliance to compensate the satellite industry for abandoning much-needed mid-band airwaves to facilitate his 5G deployment across America. Helped secure nearly $10 billion. His extensive experience includes OTA broadcasting and his CEO duties for various satellite, internet and wireless companies such as EarthLink, Globalstar and SSL.
Now, under his leadership, AURA has secured the first-ever FCC approval for an undeveloped dedicated aviation spectrum in the 450 MHz ultra-high frequency (UHF) band with no altitude restrictions. Greenfield means that this spectrum is unobstructed by previous or concurrent use.
“Most commercial networks also have to figure out how to divide the spectrum bandwidth between different customers,” explains Torpeguin. “For example, a satellite company may have users who must share bandwidth with government users and commercial industry users. is for aeronautical communications only.”
This allows AURA to build a clean sheet, customized private network from scratch. Tolpegin said:
This unique FCC license will support BVLOS UAS operations at all altitudes nationwide, not just the relatively low-level operations currently permitted. The propagation characteristics of this band make it very cost-effective to provide nationwide coverage of all advanced and deterministic low-latency CNPC links for BVLOS.
early success
Over the past few years, AURA has been busy demonstrating the robust communication consistency, reliability and latency of the network as required by RTCA DO-377A through ground and air tests. On the policy side, the company has also been busy securing various wins.
On the testing front, the company successfully demonstrated critical communications links this summer in western Maryland and Springfield, Ohio. These flights simulated remotely piloted BVLOS regional air cargo flights in controlled airspace using a Cessna Caravan equipped with AURA airborne radio and voice communication modules. The flight highlighted what the future of air transportation will look like, utilizing AURA’s proprietary aviation interfaces and services such as C2, Detection and Avoidance (DAA) and Air Traffic Control (ATC) Voice Relay.
AURA is also active across policy areas. A former FAA executive in the UAS Consolidation Office, his lead, its Director of Regulatory Affairs Jim Williams, joined the FAA’s BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC).
A task force of the RTCA (SC-228) is responsible for developing C2 Link standards for the safe operation of UAS and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) aircraft within NAS by 2023, with Williams as a member of that group. nominated as co-chair.
RTCA also approved AURA’s request to develop a Minimum Operating Performance Standard (MOPS) for UHF C2 links for avionics utilizing the company’s 450 MHz spectrum as part of SC-228. The Commission’s final standard is expected to become an FAA regulatory instrument for C2 compliance.
NASA has also selected AURA as its infrastructure partner for its Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Campaign Demonstration, Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance Flight Test activities.
In addition, the company signed a four-year Joint Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the FAA to study performance standards for ATC voice communications supporting UAS in NAS. This study is designed to inform the RTCA DO-377 Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards (MASPS) for ATC voice. This project will measure the air-to-ground radio path transmission delay between a UAS pilot and his FAA voice switch air traffic controller to assess voice quality/speech intelligibility.
All this work advances the timeline for integrating air taxis, cargo planes and other new aircraft concepts into the country’s airspace.
what’s next
Today, the AURA network consists of 57 sites covering the entire country, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa. It also features customer-driven macro and small sites, as well as micro sites to provide supplemental coverage in the form of “AURA Go Kits.”
As for the future, AURA will continue to build. “We found that many critical components of the system were absent, such as antennas, high performance radios, software and other critical technical components required for aeronautically designed networks using the 450 MHz band,” he said. says Tolpegin. “So we are building everything we need to accelerate the deployment of day-to-day commercial BVLOS operations in the industry.”
According to Tolpegin, “The latest funding is a significant milestone for our company and one that accelerates towards 2023. With this funding, AURA will continue core development work while launching commercial services. We can provide a financial runway for
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Dawn MK Zoldi (Colonel, USAF, Retired) is an attorney with 28 years of active duty and federal civil service experience in the United States Air Force. She is her CEO and founder of P3 Tech Consulting, an internationally recognized expert on unmanned aerial system law and policy. Zoldi writes for several magazines and hosts popular tech podcasts. Zoldy is also an adjunct professor at two universities at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. In 2022, she won the Airwards People’s Choice Industry Impactor Award, was recognized as one of the top women to follow on LinkedIn, and was listed in the eVTOL Insights 2022 PowerBook. For more information, follow her on her media on social or visit her website at: https://www.
Miriam McNabb, editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of professional drone services marketplace JobForDrones, is a fascinating observer of the emerging drone industry and drone regulatory environment. With her 3,000+ articles focused on the commercial drone space, Miriam is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and high tech she has over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing new technologies.
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