The CERTIFLIGHT project proposes a new U-space service for the legal certification of UAS operations and general aviation aircraft, through the introduction of the new digital EGNSS-IoT system utilizing the OSNMA signal from the GALILEO constellation (Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication).
During the Italian test campaign for the CERTIFLIGHT project results, held within the Grottaglie Airport Test Bed (GATB) infrastructure on December 11 and 12, 2024, the project partners and representatives from the European Space Programme Agency (EUSPA) had the opportunity to visit the Grottaglie Airport Test Bed (GATB) test facility and assess its capabilities and potential during the experimental flight trials. The Distretto Tecnologico Aerospaziale (DTA) provided the research and UAS flight test infrastructure of the GATB to monitor the experimental flight operations of the drones used during the testing. The GATB, which is nearing completion, was developed by the DTA in collaboration with the University of Salento, University of Bari, and Polytechnic University of Bari. The construction of the GATB was financed through the call “Notice for the presentation of projects to enhance the regional research infrastructure ‘Airport Test Bed’ of Taranto-Grottaglie.”
On this occasion, the DTA’s command and control room, equipped with a system consisting of two electro-optical turrets for drone tracking and a radar system for airspace surveillance, was made available. In addition to the command and control room, the GATB includes laboratories for Propulsion Systems, Payloads and Sensors, Augmented PNT, and Advanced Computing. The GATB is an advanced research infrastructure, providing services focused on Flight Testing, including Research and Testing during both development and validation phases, flight preparation, flight authorization, flight activities (Flight Test) with coordination and execution, logistics services, and data analysis.
DTA, TopView (leader of the CERTIFLIGHT project), EUSPA representatives, and project partners conducted the planned experiments. The CERTIFLIGHT project proposes a new U-space service for the legal certification of the tracks generated by UAS and aircraft flights through the introduction of the new EGNSS-IoT digital system. The core element of the system is a digital EGNSS/IoT device installed on UAS and general aviation/light aircraft, equipped with a receiver enabled for the OSNMA service from the Galileo/EGNOS constellation, which ensures the authenticity of position data at the source, preventing tampering or counterfeiting using blockchain technology. The objective of the experiment was to demonstrate test scenarios such as “Airspace Infringement,” which aims to show the effectiveness of the CERTIFLIGHT system in proving the absence of violations for UAS operations, and “Airport Inspection,” which involves inspecting the runway for FOD (Foreign Object Debris) and equipment such as PAPI lights and the Instrument Landing System (ILS).
During the testing day, the attending personnel validated the capabilities of the CERTIFLIGHT system, and with the support of the electro-optical monitoring system from the GATB, it was possible to track the flight operations from the DTA command room in absolute safety, adhering to “Safety” requirements, ensuring continuous monitoring of the surrounding airspace.
Antonio Zilli, project manager for DTA, emphasized that the project’s outcome marks another development moment for the drone industry and innovative air services delivered with drones. The CERTIFLIGHT system enhances the safety of drone operations and provides a certification method for both the operations and the sensor data acquired, benefiting those who will use the data. Finally, once again, the Grottaglie Airport Test Bed, expertly operated by DTA personnel, contributes to developing knowledge within a European context and provides the conditions and services for designing and conducting experimental activities with UAS and related technologies, continuing to demonstrate the project’s success.
