In collaboration with esteemed partners from academia and industry, CEE is poised to address the pervasive issue of aviation system disruptions in a newly funded research initiative. With a recent boost in funding from NASA, the initiative focuses on bolstering the resilience of the National Airspace System (NAS) against the myriad of weather-related, facility, and technical issues it confronts.
"Air travel is usually convenient and often enjoyable when Mother Nature cooperates, but it can turn into a nightmare when she doesn't," says Mark Hansen, CEE Professor. "I'm really excited to bring this group together, collaborate, and see what innovations can be implemented to make the nightmares milder and less frequent."
Under the leadership of principal investigator (PI) Mark Hansen and Co-PI Raja Sengupta, CEE Professors, along with co-PI's Assistant Professor Estes from the University of Maryland, Professor David Lovell from the University of Michigan, and Professor Megan S. Ryerson from the University of Pennsylvania, the project is well equipped to tackle the challenges ahead.
"The National Airspace is entering a critical phase of growth with increasing satellite launches and low-altitude aviation, which will further test its resilience. This ULI is an opportunity to develop a better NAS for legacy and new entrants founded on data and network science," says Raja Sengupta, CEE Professor.
Check out the ITS website to learn more about the initiative here.