NASA is seeking PNT requirements for advanced air mobility when GPS is not available, but the ultimate solution may come in many forms.
At the recent FAA AAM Summit, NASA’s Parimal Kopardekar, one of the main movers in the advanced air mobility field, was asked to name some of the top operational challenges facing AAM in the near term.
One part of his answer: the need for alternative position, navigation and timing (PNT) to buttress GPS, particularly for autonomous aircraft.
The term AAM encompasses a variety of systems, from piloted aircraft that operate much like passenger aircraft today—although they will be much smaller and likely will take off and land vertically—to fully autonomous “air taxis” that will fly autonomously or be operated remotely. As there will be relatively large vehicles flying over busy urban spaces, knowing exactly where each vehicle is located at…
