NAVISP Element 3
(Navigation Innovation and Support Programme)
AURORA
itAlian Urban aiR mObility technologies & distRibuted test-fAcility
The term Urban Air Mobility (UAM) includes, all such new aeronautical applications encompassing: the future on-demand urban human air transportation (such as the so-called ‘air taxi’) and Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) / Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) operations for goods delivery and Public Safety in urban, sub-urban and inter-city areas. Further, UAS operates in the urban areas for monitoring and surveillance missions. One of the key technology enablers of UAM implementation and services adoption is related to the availability of robust and resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) measurements.
In this context, the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) technology and its several advantages are threatened in dense urban environments, as they are characterized by severe multipath, high Dilution of Precision due to Urban Canyon, and remarkable electromagnetic threats. Moreover, there are currently no consolidated CONOPS (Condition of Operations) and technical standards for navigation and flight operations, that specifically apply to the UAMs.
Considering the institutional national interest related to UAM implementation, the AURORA project, as part of the “Creation of an Italian ecosystem for AAM (Advanced Air Mobility)” framework, coordinated and promoted by ENAC, try to fill the pre-identified gaps of providing effective and reliable PNT GNSS based service for the AAM in urban and intra-urban environment, and as such can be considered as part of the AAM national strategy. Finally, it is required to assess safety and security of urban manned and unmanned flight operations for what concerns PNT capabilities based on GNSS. This can be achieved, only through rigorous, precise and accurate flight test campaigns, realized in a segregated air space using a distributed test facility (e.g., exploiting Capua and Grottaglie airports) where safety services are available and test data are collected and processed, with secure and qualified procedures and algorithms.
AURORA’s project management is in charge of ENAC, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, with the technical coordination of Telespazio, and the contribution of CIRA – the Italian Aerospace Research Center, DTA – the Apulian Aerospace Technology District, and the companies: D-Flight (ENAV group), Exprivia, Planetek Italia and Civitanavi Systems.
This project will analyse the peculiar needs of the territories with a focus on the National scenarios, along with the opportunities offered by the new and alternative PNT technologies integrated space and ground networks and systems in the context of the UAM in order to:
- Define a PNT Operational and Performance Requirements Document for UAM, identifying navigation requirements, the operational environment and related services and dedicated use cases able to support the definition and application of suitable PNT technical standards to the UAM. Consequently, propose a GNSS scalable architecture that can be implemented within the national UAM mission scenarios for at least the class of vehicles related to the EASA Specific and Certified Category of unmanned vehicles, which will include mid/big size manned systems for human transportation (VTOL) and goods delivery
- Design a UAM National Research & Development and Certification Distributed Facility so-called “UAM National Test Facility” that shall become the national reference facility for new technology development and certification of PNT devices based on GNSS technologies for UAS
- Investigate about new emerging PNT technologies for UAM applications and prototype some of the building blocks of above GNSS scalable architecture. Performing laboratory and in-flight demonstrations of their effectiveness using the facilities at the demonstration time into: Rome GNSS lab, Capua airfield and Grottaglie airport, on top of which the UAM National Test Facility will be developed
Currently, navigation technological solutions that come from the aviation technical standards for navigation and flight operations (e.g., Satellite or Ground based augmentation systems) are clearly inapplicable or cannot be extended to the UAM use cases. Specific solutions are therefore required trying to define dedicated navigation performance that enable a safe UAM implementation in the national urban, sub-urban and inter-city environments taking advantages of their potential benefits as quickly as possible.
One of the key technological enablers for UAM implementation is related to the availability of robust and resilient PNT. The Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are in principle able to provide a valid technological solution for UAM navigation however, due to a dependency on unobstructed line of sight between the mobile receiver antenna and the orbiting ranging satellites as well as the urban infrastructures, several advantages of GNSS are threatened in dense urban environments. UAM use cases could benefit from the new solutions based on the availability of robust and resilient PNT.
Furthermore, AURORA team, led by ENAC, aims to design the UAM National distributed test facility for to UAS/RPAS Navigations technologies development and assessment. Such facility will be open to European Stakeholders and will act as part of European ecosystem. The availability of a distribute National Test Bed is recognized to be strategic within the UAM development process.
DTA Project Manager: Antonio Zilli, Distretto Tecnologico Aerospaziale
Scientific responsible of the project: Ennio Borgna (PM Prime Contractor, ENAC)
Total cost: 1,5M€
Start and end date: 02/2022 – 07/2023 (Duration 18 months)
More info: Antonio Zilli, antonio.zilli@dtascarl.it, Distretto Tecnologico Aerospaziale Scarl
Partner: Distretto Tecnologico Aerospaziale, ENAC, Telespazio, CIRA, Planetek, Exprivia, Civitanavi Systems
