Results for “Operations” — Page 26

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) Pathfinder for Artemis Gateway

The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) mission was developed by NASA in collaboration with Advanced Space, LLC of Westminster, Colorado. This technology demonstration mission serves as a pathfinder for near rectilinear halo orbit (NHRO) operations around the Moon. The NHRO, (Perilune = 3,200 km; Apolune = 70,000 km) is the intended orbit for NASA’s Artemis Gateway, a small, human-tended space station planned for lunar orbit. The CAPSTONE mission will validate simulations and confirm operational planning for Gateway while also validating performance of navigation and stationkeeping requirements for Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element. Therefore, this mission will provide operational experience to NASA, commercial, and international missions for operations in a demanding orbital regime. The CAPSTONE mission consists of a 12-unit (U)+ CubeSat developed, integrated, and tested by the Terran Orbital Corporation that carries a payload communications system capable of crosslink ranging with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). CAPSTONE contains a chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC) for a one-way ranging experiment with NASA’s Deep Space Network, a dedicated payload flight computer for software demonstration, and a camera. The launch, coordinated by NASA’s Launch Services Program, was provided by Rocket Lab on its Electron launch vehicle using their Photon upper stage to deploy the CAPSTONE spacecraft. The mission launched June 28, 2022. The CAPSTONE spacecraft deployed from the Photon stage and traversed an approximately 4-month, highly fuel-efficient transfer phase entering the NRHO November 13, 2022, for a six-month primary mission phase. The mission is currently in a twelve-month technology enhancement operations phase. The CAPSTONE technology demonstration mission is led by Advanced Space, LLC. Spacecraft development and mission operations are conducted by Terran Orbital Corporation of Irvine, California. Noted accomplishments for the CAPSTONE mission include demonstrating the accessibility of NHROs; validating key operational concepts in the NHRO environment; laying the foundation for commercial support of future lunar operations; and accelerating the availability of peer-to-peer navigation capabilities provided by the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System (CAPS). The CAPSTONE mission is funded through NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) program, which is one of several programs within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. The program is chartered to develop and demonstrate technologies to enhance and expand the capabilities of small spacecraft with a particular focus on enabling new mission architectures through the use of small spacecraft, expanding the reach of small spacecraft to new destinations, and augmenting future missions with supporting small spacecraft. The CAPSTONE mission launch was provided by NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Missions Directorate’s Advanced Exploration Systems Division. Coordination and acquisition of the launch was managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program. The CAPSTONE mission and project status will be presented.

Elwood Agasid↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Cryogenically-Operable Electronics for Surviving the Lunar Night

Current solar-powered robotic lunar landers and rovers have not demonstrated survivability of the extreme cold temperatures seen during the 354-hour lunar night. To address this capability gap, we have been investigating the feasibility of a passive hibernation approach to enable low-cost solar- and battery-powered missions to operate over multiple lunar cycles. This strategy relies on isolating the batteries from the main bus during the lunar night and allowing cells to freeze as temperatures descend as low as 50K. The entire power architecture remains in a hibernation state with no electrical activity until lunar dawn. When the sun returns over the horizon, the now-illuminated solar arrays begin generating power. In order to manage the array power, architecture consisting of cryogenically-operable COTS electronics must be utilized. This architecture will distribute and control power to subsystems - importantly controlling heaters to bring the frozen lithium-ion battery cells to normal operating conditions. This alternative approach to lunar operations will enable low-cost commercial lunar landers and payloads to passively survive the night and continue to operate over multiple lunar cycles without a significant impact to cost or payload mass. Research last year focused on creating a power supply that was capable of operation at cryogenic temperatures. At the end of FY23, our team successfully designed and manufactured a Sequential Switching Shunt Regulator (S3R) that is operational in a cryogenic vacuum chamber. It is capable of full operation down to the coldest lunar night temperatures (~50K). Our presentation will provide an overview of the Lunar Hibernation strategy but will focus mainly on the technical details of this cryogenically-operable shunt regulator and test results.

Cryogenic↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of an Exploratory, Real-Time, Multi-Pilot Simulation Study of Early eVTOL Operations at Non-Towered Vertiports

This paper provides a report out on an exploratory, multi-aircraft/multi-pilot, real-time simulation study conducted by NASA of early commercial powered-lift, Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations at a non-towered vertiport. As used in this paper, vertiport refers to the primary ground and airspace elements facilitating the takeoff and landing of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with central emphasis on a vertipad, i.e. the physical touch-down and lift-off area and surrounding approach , departure, local pattern procedures. The study, known as the Piloted UML-2 ConOps Study (PUCS), had two high-level goals. The first goal was providing preliminary insights and observations relevant to the piloting and flight operations of early, commercial UAM operations aligned with the initial stage of the FAA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Implementation Plan and the second level NASA’s UAM Maturity Level (UML) scale. The second goal was evaluating a novel, medium-fidelity, extensible, many-pilot, real-time simulation capability known as the UAM Flyers developed by NASA. The Flyers are intended to allow rapid development, screening, evaluation, and demonstrations of potential Concepts of Operation (ConOps) for UAM flight operations and airspace management in a modular and low-cost, real-time, human-in-the-loop rapid simulation prototyping environment. For this study, ten Flyer cockpits were configured to evaluate flight operations through a non-towered vertiport with pilot interfaces and displays (external and in-cockpit) appropriate for operations under visual flight rules (VFR) and employing flight and communication procedures representative of current operations at non-towered airports. The presented results include an achieved operational tempo; durations of individual flight tasks for approaches and departures; off-nominal events and triggers; and pilot comments regarding potential procedural and technology improvements.

Urban Air Mobility↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of an Exploratory, Multi-Pilot Simulation Study of Early eVTOL Operations at Non-Towered Vertiports

This paper provides a report out on an exploratory, multi-aircraft/multi-pilot, real-time simulation study conducted by NASA of early commercial powered-lift, Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations at a non-towered vertiport. As used in this paper, vertiport refers to the primary ground and airspace elements facilitating the takeoff and landing of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with central emphasis on a vertipad, i.e. the physical touch-down and lift-off area and surrounding approach , departure, local pattern procedures. The study, known as the Piloted UML-2 ConOps Study (PUCS), had two high-level goals. The first goal was providing preliminary insights and observations relevant to the piloting and flight operations of early, commercial UAM operations aligned with the initial stage of the FAA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Implementation Plan and the second level NASA’s UAM Maturity Level (UML) scale. The second goal was evaluating a novel, medium-fidelity, extensible, many-pilot, real-time simulation capability known as the UAM Flyers developed by NASA. The Flyers are intended to allow rapid development, screening, evaluation, and demonstrations of potential Concepts of Operation (ConOps) for UAM flight operations and airspace management in a modular and low-cost, real-time, human-in-the-loop rapid simulation prototyping environment. For this study, ten Flyer cockpits were configured to evaluate flight operations through a non-towered vertiport with pilot interfaces and displays (external and in-cockpit) appropriate for operations under visual flight rules (VFR) and employing flight and communication procedures representative of current operations at non-towered airports. The presented results include an achieved operational tempo; durations of individual flight tasks for approaches and departures; off-nominal events and triggers; and pilot comments regarding potential procedural and technology improvements.

Urban Air Mobility↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Uncrewed Aerial System Traffic Management Beyond Visual Line of Sight Multi Operator Technology Assessment Simulation

UAS Traffic Management (UTM) is a rapidly evolving space with increasing demand for regulation surrounding more complex operations. Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations are among these complex operations. The NASA UTM BVLOS sub-project is focusing on enabling more routine BVLOS operations through data collection for support of standards formulation. The Multi Operator Technology Assessment (MOTA) simulation is one of these activities that collects data on BVLOS operations within the same geographical area while sharing operational intents through a USS. Data collected includes workload, situation awareness, and usability on nominal and off-nominal operations. Results of this study are intended to provide recommendations for standards as well as provide insight on improvements to the systems under test. NASA intends to incorporate those improvements into their operations to support and updated BVLOS waiver from the FAA’s Near-Term Approval Process (NTAP).

Bryan J Petty↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Uncrewed Aerial System Traffic Management Beyond Visual Line of Sight Multi Operator Technology Assessment Simulation

UAS Traffic Management (UTM) is a rapidly evolving space with increasing demand for regulation surrounding more complex operations. Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations are among these complex operations. The NASA UTM BVLOS sub-project is focusing on enabling more routine BVLOS operations through data collection for support of standards formulation. The Multi Operator Technology Assessment (MOTA) simulation is one of these activities that collects data on BVLOS operations within the same geographical area while sharing operational intents through a USS. Data collected includes workload, situation awareness, and usability on nominal and off-nominal operations. Results of this study are intended to provide recommendations for standards as well as provide insight on improvements to the systems under test. NASA intends to incorporate those improvements into their operations to support and updated BVLOS waiver from the FAA’s Near-Term Approval Process (NTAP).

Bryan J Petty↗

NASA NTRS2006

Cassini Distributed Instrument Operations: What We've Learned Since Saturn Orbit Insertion

The Cassini mission to Saturn is complex with 12 science teams conducting distributed operations across the United States and Europe. Each Team includes scientists from around the world who actively participate in operations, including observation design, instrument commanding, downlink processing, and archiving. This represents a change in how JPL complex deep-space missions have been operated. Since Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI), the Cassini Project has spent 17 months conducting science operations and has gained real-world experience that has tested the assumptions and rationale for this approach. We have learned that many of the expected benefits have been realized, but there were numerous unexpected challenges as well. This paper will discuss the lessons learned from the Cassini Tour experience to date. It will revisit the assumptions and rationale behind the distributed instrument operations design and will describe the results, good and bad, of implementing this method of operations. We will describe how Instrument Teams are structured, their roles and responsibilities, what challenges they faced going into orbital operations (the 'tour') and what creative solutions were proposed when funding limitations and schedule milestones prevented optimum solutions. We will also discuss the problems that have been encountered both on the ground and with the instruments, how these problems and anomalies were overcome, and what was learned along the way about the characteristics of distributed instrument operations.

Cassini↗

NASA NTRS2015

Pilot Situation Awareness and Its Implications for Single Pilot Operations: Analysis of a Human-In-The-Loop Study

In 2012, NASA began exploring the feasibility of single pilot/reduced crew operations in the context of scheduled air carrier operations. The current study examined how important it was for ground-based personnel providing support to single piloted aircraft (ground operators) to have opportunities to acquire situation awareness (SA) prior to being called on to assist an aircraft. We looked at two distinct concepts of operation, which varied in how much information was available to ground operators prior to being called on to assist a critical event (no vs. some Situation Preview). Thirty-five commercial pilots participated in the current study. Results suggested that a ground operators’ lack of initial SA when called on for dedicated assistance is not an issue, at least when the ground operator station displays environmental and systems data which are important to gaining overall SA of the specified aircraft. With appropriate displays, ground operators were able to provide immediate assistance, even if they had minimal SA prior to getting a request.

Reduced crew operations↗

NASA NTRS2023

A Remote Vehicle Operations Center’s Role in Collecting Human Factors Data

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is supporting research to develop a prototype remote vehicle operations center at Langley Research Center to explore current and future advanced air mobility operations using small unmanned aerial systems vehicles as surrogates for future, larger-scale passenger carrying vehicles. Data collected within the Remote Operations for Autonomous Missions (ROAM) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Operations Center will be used to explore different roles and responsibilities of remote operators managing multiple autonomous vehicles, with the goal of exploring human-autonomy teaming concepts that enable m:N operations (i.e., m operators managing N vehicles). ROAM has developed into a world-class research, development, and technology (RD&T) environment that can support both the collection of human factors data and the command and control of remote vehicles in beyond visual line of sight conditions. Presented in this paper is an overview of ROAM, with a focus on the design components that support human factors data collection and a review of initial usability results of the facility.

Human factors↗

NASA NTRS2023

A Remote Vehicle Operations Center’s Role in Collecting Human Factors Data

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is supporting research to develop a prototype remote vehicle operations center at Langley Research Center to explore current and future advanced air mobility operations using small unmanned aerial systems vehicles as surrogates for future, larger-scale passenger carrying vehicles. Data collected within the Remote Operations for Autonomous Missions (ROAM) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Operations Center will be used to explore different roles and responsibilities of remote operators managing multiple autonomous vehicles, with the goal of exploring human-autonomy teaming concepts that enable m:N operations (i.e., m operators managing N vehicles). ROAM has developed into a world-class research, development, and technology (RD&T) environment that can support both the collection of human factors data and the command and control of remote vehicles in beyond visual line of sight conditions. Presented in this paper is an overview of ROAM, with a focus on the design components that support human factors data collection and a review of initial usability results of the facility.

Human factors↗

DOE OSTI2025

MegaWatt Mayhem: Grid Operator Challenges Center Loads

This report provides a summary of the challenges faced by United States electricity grid operators in accommodating and anticipating the rapid deployment of large loads, particularly data centers, based on academic literature and industry working groups. The report highlights the unique requirements and operational characteristics of data centers, which differ significantly from traditional industrial loads. Key issues addressed utility planning considerations, with emphasis on the implications for grid operators, impacts to normal operations for grid operators, reliability considerations during periods of grid stress, and resilience considerations for the changing operational paradigms based on data centers. Real-world examples are used to highlight these challenges and the changes that grid operators must address. The findings underscore the necessity for coordinated efforts and innovative solutions from both grid operators and regulatory bodies to ensure the stable integration of large loads into the grid. This report is the first in a series that will explore the challenges of data center deployments based on several key power system perspectives.

24 - POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

NASA NTRS2015

A Validated Task Analysis of the Single Pilot Operations Concept

The current day flight deck operational environment consists of a two-person Captain/First Officer crew. A concept of operations (ConOps) to reduce the commercial cockpit to a single pilot from the current two pilot crew is termed Single Pilot Operations (SPO). This concept has been under study by researchers in the Flight Deck Display Research Laboratory (FDDRL) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Ames (Johnson, Comerford, Lachter, Battiste, Feary, and Mogford, 2012) and researchers from Langley Research Centers (Schutte et al., 2007). Transitioning from a two pilot crew to a single pilot crew will undoubtedly require changes in operational procedures, crew coordination, use of automation, and in how the roles and responsibilities of the flight deck and ATC are conceptualized in order to maintain the high levels of safety expected of the US National Airspace System. These modifications will affect the roles and the subsequent tasks that are required of the various operators in the NextGen environment. The current report outlines the process taken to identify and document the tasks required by the crew according to a number of operational scenarios studied by the FDDRL between the years 2012-2014. A baseline task decomposition has been refined to represent the tasks consistent with a new set of entities, tasks, roles, and responsibilities being explored by the FDDRL as the move is made towards SPO. Information from Subject Matter Expert interviews, participation in FDDRL experimental design meetings, and study observation was used to populate and refine task sets that were developed as part of the SPO task analyses. The task analysis is based upon the proposed ConOps for the third FDDRL SPO study. This experiment possessed nine different entities operating in six scenarios using a variety of SPO-related automation and procedural activities required to guide safe and efficient aircraft operations. The task analysis presents the roles and responsibilities in a manner that can facilitate testing future scenarios. Measures of task count and workload were defined and analyzed to assess the impact of transitioning to a SPO environment.

task analysis↗

NASA NTRS2020

Remote Support of ISS Payload Operations During the COVID19 Pandemic

As part of the Human Health and Performance Contract (HHPC) with the NASA Johnson Space Center, the Human Research Program’s (HRP) Research Operations and Integration (ROI) element conducts the planning, implementation, and closing of human research operations on-board the International Space Station (ISS). These operations are supported out of the Telescience Support Center (TSC) located in the Mission Control Center at Houston’s Johnson Space Center (MCC-H). HRP ROI has an Emergency Response Plan in place to allow for remote operations to be completed in the case of inclement weather or other natural disaster; however, nominally, the remote support is only expected to last one to two weeks. In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, HRP ROI was challenged to complete a quick transition to supporting on-orbit operations remotely and distanced for an indefinite amount of time. This shift in ground support required close collaboration with various external groups as well as the implementation or adaptation of various technologies and tools to ensure no loss of science data. Operational adjustments were put into place for ground commanding, telemetry monitoring, personnel staffing and private and public audio and video with the ISS. Adjustments were also put in place for communication and collaboration with MCC-H, the Payload Operation and Integration Center (POIC) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), as well as between the various HRP ROI console team members spread across Houston, TX. The ability to successfully support a variety of on-orbit operations from any remote location is more in demand as the commercialization of low Earth orbit is expanding.

Operations↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

M:N Operations NASA/Uber Collaboration

In this presentation, current approaches to enable multiple-operator, multiple vehicle (M:N) operations are reviewed together with recent collaborative efforts between NASA and Uber. Topics include a review of human-automation teaming (HAT) concepts, including plays and working agreements, and a particular task-allocation method called Automation Level-based Task Allocation (ALTA). Following introductory material on HAT, an overview of a recent (July 2020) cognitive walkthrough study of M:N operations in the context of a food delivery via small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems application is provided. Initial results from this cognitive walkthrough detailing operator feedback on displays, operator and supervisor roles and responsibilities, and the overall concept of operation are reviewed. The presentation concludes with a description of a future, human-in-the-loop simulation experiment of M:N operations in a high-fidelity environment, which will examine the effects of high workload and assistive automation/tools on operator performance.

human-automation teaming↗

NASA NTRS2022

ISS Payload Operations Training Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impacts, Opportunities and Solutions

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought a dramatic and rapid transformation to almost every aspect of humanity. The world’s space agencies and their missions were not immune to the wide-sweeping changes. One discipline principally affected was mission operations and the various groups supporting that function. Mission support teams, especially for complex and crewed missions like the International Space Station (ISS) were forced to rethink how and where control center staff performed their vital work. Operations training – an essential element to mission ops, had unique hurdles to overcome. Operations training is responsible for preparing astronaut crews for their missions, training and certifying flight controllers, as well as ensuring that new team members are ready to join their colleagues. Every element of training was impacted during the pandemic. From orientation and introductory classes for new controllers, simulations, and advanced lessons, On the Job Training (OJT) and final evaluations; all aspects faced challenges. Trainers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama were forced to become more efficient with trainees and resources to continue supporting ISS payload operations. The pandemic arrived in the USA in March 2020. Immediately, NASA mandated that the support for ISS real-time operations was critical. As a result, physical access to key facilities was restricted. Trainers and trainees had to quickly shift to 100% remote learning. In the short term, this was not a problem. However, instructors discovered lessons they were accustomed to delivering in a classroom environment often did not translate to remote teaching. Another hurdle to operations training was the mandate that all simulations could only be held remotely. The logistics of even small simulations proved to be challenging due to Information Technology (IT) restrictions and public internet limitations. With simulations essentially halted, as well as the restrictions on most OJT, trainees were essentially stopped in their advancement towards certification. Once limitations were identified, trainers prioritized new options. Transitioning to all electronic learning materials was a relatively easy fix. Teaching to large groups took additional shifts in the training paradigm. Methods for preparing astronauts for their missions were revised. Simulation supervisors found efficient techniques to provide realistic training experiences. Communication and coordination with management was essential. In every case, the payload operations instructors found novel solutions to all functions listed. This paper discusses the factors and solutions payloads operations trainers found to keep scientific research on the ISS flying forward to mission success.

ISS↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Roadmap to Cooperative Operating Practices for Strategic Conflict Detection and Resolution in the Upper Class-E Traffic Management Concept

As the governing body of flight operations in the highly anticipated emergent area of Upper Class E airspace (60,000 ft and above), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recognized the potential for a possible extensible traffic management system for new entrants into this domain. Following the successes with Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) and Advanced / Urban Air Mobility (AAM / UAM) Traffic Management programs, FAA put forth an initial concept of operations for supporting the start of the Upper Class E Traffic Management (ETM) concept. Like UTM and AAM / UAM, ETM is envisioned to also be a community-based, industry driven cooperative management concept. However, tailoring it to be adaptable to the atmospheric communication, navigation, and surveillance deficits, as well as the diverse vehicle and mission profiles operating in the ETM environment will be the challenge. As such, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center has been investigating several technologies that will help enable industry in the development of this new type of cooperative operating environment. These technologies are being prototyped and will be tested in a collaborative evaluation of an initial ETM system in late 2023. The evaluation will concentrate on building out ETM system technologies that will inform the participants regarding operational intent sharing, strategic conflict detection, and the resultant deconfliction process. In addition to the technical aspects, key roles and responsibilities will need to be defined. This will be done through exploring community-agreed upon Cooperative Operating Practices (COPs) that include procedures and capabilities to aid in timely, strategic conflict identification and resolution to be developed during the evaluation. As an initial step to the evaluation, the ETM research team at NASA Ames solicited industry feedback on various aspects of ETM operations from subject matter experts. A virtual tabletop walkthrough session was held over a two-day period to follow a roadmap through the functional steps needed to build COPs, focusing on strategic conflict detection and resolution. Overall, the ETM tabletop provided insights into how the community wanted to instantiate the generation and sharing of operational intent, detect strategic conflicts and resolve those conflicts using a preliminary set of procedural community-agreed upon COPs.

Upper Class-E Traffic Management (ETM)↗

NASA NTRS2024

Vertiport Management from Simulation to Flight: Continued Human Factors Assessment of Vertiport Operations

The Urban Air Mobility concept envisions a new future for transportation in urban environments, primarily focused around vertiport operations. A vertiport refers to an identifiable ground or elevated area used for the vertical takeoff and landing of an aircraft. One critical role within vertiport operations that has been proposed but is under-researched is the vertiport manager. The vertiport manager is expected to manage the ground-to-air operations at the vertiport, but their precise responsibilities, tasks, and challenges are currently undefined. The High Density Vertiplex Subproject at NASA is responsible for developing and testing technologies, concepts, and architectures that will support the infrastructure needed for terminal environments around vertiports. Our previous work investigated ground control station operators performing simulated and live flight operations within a remote operations environment. In the current study, we extended from our previous work to explore the role of a vertiport manager. Specifically, we investigated five participants serving as a vertiport manager across both simulated and live flight operations. We performed multiple knowledge elicitation techniques, a thematic content analysis of qualitative data, and naturalistic observations to create a list of insights, design and training recommendations, and a simplified cognitive task diagram of the vertiport manager’s primary task. Findings from this study are discussed within the context of the current debate on the degree to which this role should be automated. A third alternative is suggested to allow a human vertiport manager to be successful by teaming with increasingly autonomous systems, designing the role to improve safety and efficiency of Urban Air Mobility operations.

AAM↗

NASA NTRS2024

Vertiport Management from Simulation to Flight: Continued Human Factors Assessment of Vertiport Operations

The Urban Air Mobility concept envisions a new future for transportation in urban environments, primarily focused around vertiport operations. A vertiport refers to an identifiable ground or elevated area used for the vertical takeoff and landing of an aircraft. One critical role within vertiport operations that has been proposed but is under-researched is the vertiport manager. The vertiport manager is expected to manage the ground-to-air operations at the vertiport, but their precise responsibilities, tasks, and challenges are currently undefined. The High Density Vertiplex Subproject at NASA is responsible for developing and testing technologies, concepts, and architectures that will support the infrastructure needed for terminal environments around vertiports. Our previous work investigated ground control station operators performing simulated and live flight operations within a remote operations environment. In the current study, we extended from our previous work to explore the role of a vertiport manager. Specifically, we investigated five participants serving as a vertiport manager across both simulated and live flight operations. We performed multiple knowledge elicitation techniques, a thematic content analysis of qualitative data, and naturalistic observations to create a list of insights, design and training recommendations, and a simplified cognitive task diagram of the vertiport manager’s primary task. Findings from this study are discussed within the context of the current debate on the degree to which this role should be automated. A third alternative is suggested to allow a human vertiport manager to be successful by teaming with increasingly autonomous systems, designing the role to improve safety and efficiency of Urban Air Mobility operations.

AAM↗