Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Traffic Management Beyond Visual Line of Sight (UTM BVLOS)

NASA’s Uncrewed Traffic Management Beyond Visual Line of Sight (UTM BVLOS) subproject aims to support the growing demand for drone flights across the globe. Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, offer an increasing number of services, from package delivery to critical public safety operations, like search and rescue missions.

The UTM BVLOS subproject will enable routine, safe, extensible BVLOS operations in low altitude Class G airspace through the formalization and operationalization of ground-based services.

This subproject is executed by the Air Traffic Management Exploration Project in NASA’s Airspace Operations and Safety Program (AOSP). AOSP conceives, develops, and demonstrates technologies to safely improve aircraft systems that will operate in the National Airspace System (NAS). The program develops advanced technologies for a service‑oriented and federated NAS architecture to enable seamless integration of emergent vehicles (e.g., unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility vehicles) with present-day aircraft. AOSP also works with other Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate programs to define safe NAS operational requirements for the next generation of vehicles, mature new transformative concepts, and demonstrate integrated systems.

Without special waivers, drone flights are currently limited to visual line of sight — or only as far as the pilot can see — which is roughly no farther than one mile from the operator. As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) works to authorize flights beyond this point, NASA is working with industry and the FAA to operationalize an UTM system for these operations.

This work is in support of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility Mission, which seeks to transform our communities by bringing the movement of people and goods off the ground, on demand, and into the sky.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — 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.