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Reliable Robotics announced on Wednesday a new contract with NASA to perform demonstration flights of its automated Cessna 208B Caravan at and around airports in the national airspace system (NAS).
Reliable Robotics' Reliable Autonomy System (RAS) is an aircraft autonomy system that integrates into flight computers, redundant actuators and automated vehicle systems. It automates all phases of flight and was first successfully used during a flight in California in 2023.
Data collected from these flights will be sent to NASA, the FAA and Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) to support the development and validation of Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) and Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards (MASPS) for large unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Reliable states that testing at airports in critical as they include operations with higher traffic density and UAS need to be safe and reliable throughout a variety of dynamic environments and contingency scenarios. The tests are designed to demonstrate regional air cargo operations in a terminal area, including contingency scenarios such as lost link procedures and Global Positioning System degraded and denied scenarios.
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The company states that while the contingency scenarios are unlikely, the partnership will advance the necessary procedures in the event they do occur. The final flight demonstration will be operated in accordance with Reliable's prior FAA authorizations and will have no pilot on board.
"This testing campaign comes at a unique moment in time, when safety-enhancing aircraft autonomy is rapidly nearing FAA certification and entry into service for regional air cargo and military use cases," said CEO and co-founder Robert Rose. "Efforts like this are how we continue to advance the necessary public policy ecosystem. We deeply value the continued partnership with NASA to conduct testing that will advance industry-wide efforts to expand remotely piloted aircraft operations at airports."