Suggested Searches

Artist concept showing a futuristic screen getting vehicle diagnostics with a world map in the background.

Graphic showing the potential for a Sky for All system.

Artist illustration showing and unmanned cargo delivery aircraft an small package delivery drones being used.

Airspace Operations and Safety Program

The Airspace Operations and Safety Program (AOSP) enables safe, sustainable, and efficient aviation transportation operations to benefit the flying public and ensure the global competitiveness of the U.S. aviation industry. We are driving critical safety initiatives and leading the digital transformation of aviation to achieve a federated and service-oriented architecture, fostering the growth of safe airspace for all users.

Learn More About AOSP

program director

Akbar Sultan

deputy program director

Cheryl Quinn

Latest AOSP News

NASA Tests Air Traffic Surveillance Technology Using Its Pilatus PC-12 Aircraft

NASA Kicks off Testing Campaign for Remotely Piloted Cargo Flights

NASA Flight Rerouting Tool Curbs Delays, Emissions

NASA Moves Drone Package Delivery Industry Closer to Reality

Learn More About NASA’s UTM BVLOS Subproject

Airspace Operations and Safety Program Leadership

Learn more about the leadership for the Airspace Operations and Safety Program.

More Aeronautics Leadership

Akbar Sultan, AOSP Director, NASA Aeronautics

Mr. Akbar Sultan

Director

Read Akbar Sultan's Bio

Cheryl Quinn, Deputy Director for Airspace Operations and Safety Program

Cheryl Quinn

Deputy Director

Read Cheryl Quinn's Bio

Projects

The Airspace Operations and Safety Program currently divides its research portfolio into four projects.

NASA researchers test a mobile air traffic kit for remotely operated Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in DeSoto National Forest in Mississippi. The mobile air traffic is being developed for use in wildfire operations.

Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response (ACERO)

To keep pace with the growing threat of wildland fires across the United States, NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations project is developing airspace management technologies that will enable remotely piloted aircraft to identify, monitor, and suppress wildfires 24 hours a day.

Read More on ACERO

An artist’s conception of an urban air mobility environment with various unmanned aircraft within a city.

Air Mobility Pathfinders (AMP)

Air Mobility Pathfinders will tackle one of the most important challenges in the Advanced Air Mobility industry — researching how to safely integrate emerging electric air taxi technologies into cities and the national airspace system to help revolutionize air transportation.

Read More on AMP

Artist's concept of various types of flying vehicles operating in an urban environment.

Air Traffic Management—Exploration (ATM-X)

The Air Traffic Management – eXploration project will transform the air traffic management system to safely accommodate the growing demand of new air vehicles to enter the airspace to perform a variety of missions.

Read More on ATM-X

System-Wide Safety (SWS)

The transformation of aviation to make flight more efficient and accessible, even as the global demand for air transportation services steadily increases, will require new research tools, innovative technologies, and operational methods. Enabling this to be done safely is the System-Wide Safety project's goal.

Read More on SWS

Featured Video

Sky for All

Developing a mid-21st Century Vision for the future aviation system, together.

Learn More About Sky for All

Airspace Operations and Safety Gallery

12 Images

Learn More and Get Involved

AOSP Newsletter graphic

AOSP Newsletters

AOSP leaders and subject matter experts produce a quarterly newsletter detailing technical achievements, research highlights, and other news about the program. Read them here.

A graphic showing a front view of an airplane over a series of 0's and 1's suggesting digital aviation research,

Research Solicitations

Find opportunities to collaborate with NASA’s aeronautical innovators and/or contribute to their research to enable new and improved air transportation systems.

NASA Aeronautics Strategic Implementation Plan, shows an artist illustration of the earth with grass covering the land mass of North and South America as well as Europe. There are airplane silhouettes flying on top of the globe. Also, around the globe are the 6 Strategic Thrusts that support the ARMD portfolio.

ARMD Strategic Vision

The Strategic Implementation Plan sets forth the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate vision for aeronautical research aimed at the next 25 years and beyond. Read this important document here.

NASA Aeronautics Research Institute

The NASA Aeronautics Research Institute promotes innovation in aeronautics across a broad spectrum of aeronautical challenges in the nation’s air transportation system. Learn about them here.

Several people in business suits appear talking as they stand behind an office conference room table. On a nearby wall is a graphic with an airplane and the words NASA Advisory Council Aeronautics Committee.

NASA Advisory Council Aeronautics Committee

The NASA Advisory Council's aeronautics committee advises the agency's leadership on strategic plans, programs, and other matters pertinent to aeronautics research. Public input at meetings is welcome. Read more here.

A red and white graphic showing a simple house with a chimney and the words Aeronautics at Home.

Aeronautics STEM & Learning Resources

Explore hands-on activities, interactive lesson plans, educator guides, and other downloadable content about aeronautics.

The Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate banner image of a female airplane passenger with her eyes closed facing the window. Off to the right of her are different Aeronautics Research Images she is thinking about.

Aeronáutica en español

Conozca los avances tecnológicos desarrollados por la NASA, la industria de la aviación está mejor equipada que nunca para transportar pasajeros y carga de manera segura y eficiente a destinos alrededor del mundo en español.

World map in the background with an airplane flying upwards in the foreground.

Dashlink

DASHlink is a collaborative sharing network for researchers in the Data Mining and Systems Health fields. On DASHlink you can create a public member profile, share papers, algorithms, and datasets, and utilize tools like wikis and blogs to collaborate.

Other Aeronautics topics

Even More Aeronautics

Artist illustration of the X-59 in flight over a surbuban neighborhood.

Supersonic Flight

Research about flying faster than the speed of sound.

Aerospace Cognitive Engineering Lab Rapid Automation Test Environment; (ACEL-RATE) in N262 showing out-the-window views of San Francisco for UAM UTM Ride Quality Simulation project.

Flight Innovation

Stories about pioneering the frontiers of 21st century flight.

The Moog SureFly aircraft hovers above Cincinnati Municipal Airport during an acoustic hover test.

Drones & You

All about new ways to get from here to there in the air.

In this image, captured using data from a wind-tunnel test, the red and orange areas represent higher drag, and the green and bl

Green Aviation Tech

Learn about research to make aviation more sustainable.

Airplane outside it's gate at the airport.

Air Traffic Solutions

Read about how NASA is opening up the sky for all.

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Supersonic Flight

Green Aviation Tech

Air Traffic Solutions

Drones & You