Candidate Architecture Solutions for Interoperable Crewed and Uncrewed Midterm Uam Operations

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is a rapidly emerging industry targeting delivery of air transportation services around metropolitan areas with the potential for aviation to become a practical part of everyday life while leveraging emerging technologies and operational concepts. This whitepaper, a collaboration between NASA’s Air Mobility Pathfinders (AMP) project and Wisk, explores the interoperability between crewed and uncrewed aircraft in UAM operations, leveraging operational concepts put forth in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) UAM Concept of Operations (ConOps) for the Midterm UAM phase. Specifically, UAM aircraft are envisioned to takeoff and land from vertiports and primarily operate within Cooperative Areas (CAs). CAs are designated as airspace volumes with specific requirements for performance, communication, and surveillance in which UAM Operators follow cooperative operating practices (COPs). Additionally, Third-Party Service Providers (TSPs) are envisioned to play a crucial role in conflict management, including both strategic and tactical deconfliction within the CAs.