“…New forms of highly automated Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft, such as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, could transform transportation, cargo delivery, and a variety of public services. NASA, working alongside the Federal Aviation Administration, is applying its decades of expertise in aeronautical research to ensure this new type of technology enters the National Airspace System in a safe and sustainable way.

In March, a team of pilots and researchers from NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign visited the headquarters of Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company in Stratford, Connecticut. The National Campaign team conducted research flights with the Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft (SARA), an S-76B commercial helicopter that Sikorsky – which develops autonomy software and hardware focused on improving flight safety, reliability, and affordability with two, one or zero flight crew – configured as a flying research laboratory.

Known as MATRIX™ Technology, the autonomy system is designed to give operators like NASA the ability to fly any aircraft autonomously or as an optionally piloted vehicle. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is already testing this unique technology for use in defense – and the same technology could be used in future eVTOL vehicles…”