Metroplex Coordinated Runway Scheduling

NASA's System Oriented Runway Management (SORM) project is studying operational concepts and algorithms to improve the efficiency and capacity of metroplex operations, where performance is measured not only at the runways but across the airport surface and metroplex airspace. Current SORM research focuses on an approach that plans the airport configuration – the runway configuration and other policies for how classes of flights use metroplex resources. This approach is appropriate for near-term implementation, as it fits within current operations. This project develops an alternative, longer-term approach to SORM that coordinates the trajectory planning for individual flights. NASA is studying future arrival and departure traffic management systems that plan portions of trajectories for each flight. NASA's research efforts each focus on one part of the traffic management problem. This project studies new approaches that coordinate these systems, to achieve increased traffic management effectiveness through a system perspective. In Phase 1, various operational concepts and mathematical approaches will be explored. This approach was originally part of the SORM concept before research focused on the near-term, aggregate approach. The proposed project compliments NASA's research portfolio, contributing work of direct relevance to Airspace Systems Program objectives and providing a foundation for future, advanced SORM research.

Potential applications for the research results beyond Phase 2 include uses by NASA and, eventually, by the FAA as a capability to be incorporated into the NextGen metroplex automation systems. The proposed SBIR addresses a topic originally included as part of the SORM concept but not currently being studied. As such, this work is highly relevant to NASA and directly contributes to NASA's Airspace Systems Program objectives. While NASA's current SORM work focuses on more near-term goals, this work will provide a foundation for continuing SORM research to also be relevant to longer-term, NextGen environments. In Phase 3, we would continue to collaborate with NASA on future SORM research. This work might involve software maintenance, software and algorithm enhancements, studying alternative algorithmic or conceptual approaches, testing for other airports and off-nominal situations, support for NASA integrated simulations, and support for NASA's technology transfer to the FAA.

Beyond NASA, the primary potential application for this work is with the FAA. Ultimately, the technology studied and developed in this project is intended to be used by the FAA within the air traffic management system. The most likely Phase 3 activities involve supporting the FAA's study and prototype deployment and testing of the technology. Mosaic ATM has previously conducted technology transfer to the FAA, simulation experiments, and field trials for NASA-developed automation tools and concepts and is well-qualified to complete these Phase 3 objectives with minimal risk. During Phase 2, we will consider whether the algorithmic and software techniques we have developed might have application in decision support tools for the flight operators, such as in coordinating planning of flights and ground services to increase overall efficiency.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 2) — 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.