Airspace Operations and Safety Program

Aeronautics

General

NASA Advances High-Altitude Traffic Management

High-altitude flight is getting increasing attention from sectors ranging from telecommunications to emergency response. To make that airspace more accessible, NASA is developing an air traffic management system covering those altitudes and supplementing its work with real-time data from a research balloon in Earth’s stratosphere. Aircraft at high

Posted February 17, 2026

General

Aeronautics

Aeronautics Research

Aeronautics Technology

UAS Traffic Management

NASA Develops Blockchain Technology to Enhance Air Travel Safety and Security

Through a drone flight test at NASA’s Ames Research Center, researchers tested a blockchain-based system for protecting flight data. The system aims to keep air traffic management safe from disruption and protect data transferred between aircraft and ground stations from being intercepted or manipulated.

Posted January 16, 2026

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Aeronautics

Air Mobility Pathfinders project

Glenn Research Center

Langley Research Center

NASA Tests Air Traffic Surveillance Technology Using Its Pilatus PC-12 Aircraft

As air taxis, drones, and other innovative aircraft enter U.S. airspace, systems that communicate an aircraft’s location will be critical to ensure air traffic safety.

Posted January 23, 2025

Aeronautics

Drones & You

NASA Kicks off Testing Campaign for Remotely Piloted Cargo Flights

NASA recently began a series of flight tests with partners to answer an important aviation question: What will it take to integrate remotely piloted or autonomous planes carrying large packages and cargo safely into the U.S. airspace?

Posted January 7, 2025

Aeronautics

Green Aviation Tech

Sustainable Flight National Partnership

NASA Flight Rerouting Tool Curbs Delays, Emissions

It’s the holiday season — which means many are taking to the skies to join their loved ones. If you’ve ever used an app to navigate on a road trip, you’ve probably noticed how it finds you the most efficient route to your destination, even before you depart. To that end, NASA has been working […]

Posted December 20, 2024

Drones & You

Aeronautics

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Glenn Research Center

Langley Research Center

UAS Traffic Management

NASA Moves Drone Package Delivery Industry Closer to Reality

Package delivery drones are coming to our doorsteps in the future, and NASA wants to make sure that when medication or pizza deliveries take to the skies, they will be safe. In July, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the first time authorized multiple U.S. companies to fly commercial drones in the same airspace without […]

Posted December 10, 2024

Aeronautics

Diversity at NASA

Everyday Extraordinary Stories

Flight Innovation

For Educators

For Kids and Students

Life at NASA

Modeling

People of NASA

Project Management & Systems Engineering

STEM Engagement at NASA

Women at NASA

Women's History Month

Math, Mentorship, Motherhood: Behind the Scenes with NASA Engineers

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on February 22, 2024. Engineering is a huge field with endless applications. From aerospace to ergonomics, engineers play an important role in designing, building, and testing technologies all around us.

Posted November 8, 2024

Aeronautics

Drones & You

NASA and Partners Scaling to New Heights

NASA, in partnership with AeroVironment and Aerostar, recently demonstrated a first-of-its-kind air traffic management concept that could pave the way for aircraft to safely operate at higher altitudes.

Posted October 18, 2024

Aeronautics