Four more companies are joining NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Campaign and are cleared to start exchanging information with 30 existing program partners ahead of the start of its second phase. The new partners are eSTOL aircraft developer Electra Aero, eVTOL vehicle companies Overair and Supernal, and transportation technology consultants Ellis & Associates.
The first phase of the National Campaign involves a series of tests focused on operational safety involving eVTOL aircraft, automation, airspace management, acoustics modeling, concepts of operations, flight contingencies, and mobile landing surfaces. NASA says the overall purpose of the work is to, “promote public confidence and accelerate the realization of emerging aviation markets for passenger and cargo transportations in urban, suburban, rural and regional environments.”
Previously, NASA has appointed aircraft developers Wisk Aero, Joby, and Reliable Robotics to the program. It also includes airspace specialists such as Anra Technologies, state transportation departments from Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas, and Ohio, as well as the city of Orlando.
Program participants are eligible for NASA funding, and also gain access to subsequent contracts under the agency’s Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs.
“We are excited to welcome Electra to the National Campaign and to learn more about their vision for using their ultra-short takeoff and landing configuration for safe, efficient, intra-regional mobility,” said Ken Goodrich, NASA’s AAM deputy program manager for technology.
