Wind affects all aircraft, particularly during takeoff and landing. It's especially critical for new types of transportation. A new NASA flight campaign studying wind aims to gather information to enhance air taxi safety.
Researchers measured wind at altitudes below 2,000 feet using drones, sensors, weather balloons, and other technology during the Advanced Exploration of Reliable Operation at Low Altitudes: Meteorology, Simulation and Technology campaign, based at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.
The goal of this campaign is to fill knowledge gaps to resolve wind and weather unknowns that could hinder Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) flights. Armstrong is partnered with NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, on the work, which began July 20 and will run through August.
"Advanced conceptual planning for AAM vertiports require data collection tools to ensure safe operations," said Grady Koch, the project's principal investigator. "It would be great if weather input and the models could do everything, but there are unexpected variables. We have a unique opportunity to make those measurements for weather forecasting."
The campaign's first flight was also the first mission for NASA Armstrong's Alta-X quad rotor, remotely piloted drone. The Alta-X flew to predetermined altitudes and hovered while mounted sensors obtained data on temperature, pressure, relative humidity, and three-dimensional wind data. To simplify use of the sensors on Alta-X, the ground station is the same one meteorologists use.
"This multipurpose experiment tests new sensor technologies and makes a detailed study of wind flow around buildings" Koch said. "The ground-based support sensors include the cutting-edge 'virtual tower concept' where we have two lidar units that use lasers to measure airflow from the ground level to 2,000 feet."
Six NASA Armstrong meteorologists were required to prepare and deploy the equipment, and complete weather forecasting, to make the field experiment possible.
"It was full force for 11 weeks prior to the start of the experiment," said co-investigator Luke Bard. "Preparation has been ongoing since about October 2022, when the weather team received some of the new equipment."
A NASA Armstrong 140-foot tower outfitted with ultrasonic wind sensors and several smaller 10-foot weather stations sample the wind flows through the area for the data-gathering. Upwind of the test area, a sensor measures winds aloft by emitting sound pulses.
The researchers plan to use wind data to validate and improve new modeling techniques.
"Computational fluid dynamics is used for determining airflow on pretty small features like wings on airplanes, but for this work we are using it for a meteorological problem where you have very large complex structures," Koch said. "The sensors are used to compare and validate those models."
The wind campaign is part of NASA's Convergent Aeronautics Solutions project under the Transformative Aeronautical Concepts Program, which invests in ideas leading to solutions for aviation and that impact safety, environmental and community impact, and the global growth in air traffic.
Artificial Intelligence Analysis
Defense Industry Analyst:
8/10:
This article is relevant to the defense industry as it provides insight into how advancements in technology can improve safety standards, which is particularly important for the defense industry. The campaigns focus on gathering wind data and testing sensors is significant for the industry as it could lead to improved accuracy of weather forecasts and better preparedness for extreme weather conditions. The article also highlights the use of drones, which are becoming increasingly important in the defense industry for surveillance, reconnaissance, and other military applications.
Stock Market Analyst:
6/10:
This article is less relevant to the stock market analyst as it does not directly provide any insight into stock performance or the economic implications of the campaign. However, the campaign could have significant effects on the aviation industry, which is important for stock market analysts to consider when making investments. Additionally, the use of drones could lead to new opportunities for companies in the aerospace and defense sector.
General Industry Analyst:
8/10:
This article is relevant to the general industry analyst as it provides insight into how advancements in technology can improve safety standards in the aviation industry. The campaigns focus on gathering wind data and testing sensors has the potential to provide more accurate weather forecasts and better preparedness for extreme weather conditions, which could have significant impacts on the industry. Additionally, the use of drones could lead to new opportunities for companies in the aviation sector.
Analyst Summary
:
This article discusses a new NASA flight campaign to study wind in order to improve air taxi safety. The campaign focuses on gathering wind data and testing sensors, which could lead to more accurate weather forecasts and better preparedness for extreme weather conditions. It also highlights the use of drones, which are becoming increasingly important in the defense industry for surveillance, reconnaissance, and other military applications. This campaign is relevant to the defense industry, the aviation industry, and the stock market as it could lead to improved safety standards, new opportunities for companies in the aerospace and defense sector, and potential effects on the stock market.
Comparison to Significant Events and Trends in the Space and Defense Industry: Over the past 25 years, the space and defense industry has seen a shift towards the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones. This shift has led to increased surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, as well as a host of other military applications. The NASA flight campaign discussed in this article is an example of how drones are being used to improve safety standards in the aviation industry. Additionally, advancements in technology have allowed for increased accuracy of weather forecasts, which could have significant implications for the defense industry.
Investigative
Question:
- 1. What are the potential benefits of using drones to study wind?
- 2. How could the information gathered in this campaign be used to improve air taxi safety?
- 3.
How have advancements in technology improved accuracy of weather forecasts over the past 25 years?4. What are the potential impacts of this campaign on the aerospace and defense sector?
5. How could this NASA campaign help inform the development of new technologies for the defense industry?
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