Autonomous Mission Planning for Aircraft

The increased use of autonomy in aircraft can offer a number of benefits including faster response times, ability to utilize more incoming sensor data, and reduced reliance on highly trained personnel. Developers, integrators, and regulators of autonomous technologies must build trust within the aircraft community that these technologies are capable of operating in spaces formerly occupied by manned operators. There are a number of challenges that must be overcome for integration of more advanced autonomous technologies within aircraft. Autonomous aircraft must be capable of safely operating when faults occur and be capable of performing safe, controlled landings when it is not possible to proceed to their original destination. These platforms must be capable of receiving input from multiple disparate sensors and understanding what this sensor data means for the aircraft and its environment. They must be able to respond in real-time as the environment changes in response to weather, other vehicles, or changes in the vehicle’s condition itself. Technology that could enable an autonomous aircraft to respond rapidly and reliably to changes in the environment or in the vehicle would significantly increase the space over which these platforms can operate. In this program, Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG) will develop and demonstrate a system for performing in-flight changes to aircraft missions in response to new information.

Urban air mobility Autonomous or remotely piloted aircraft Energy efficiency

Aeromedical transportation Cargo delivery Disaster response

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.