The U.S. commercial space launch industry has changed considerably since the enactment of the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004. FAA is required to license or permit commercial space launches, but to allow the space tourism industry to develop, the act prohibited FAA from regulating crew and spaceflight participant safety before 2012—a moratorium that was later extended but will now expire on September 30, 2015. Since October 2014, there have been three mishaps involving FAA licensed or permitted launches.

美聯邦航空廳(Federal Aviation Administration)의 航空機 製作檢査 制度의 現況

A method and device to help an aircraft change altitude in case of reduced separations is disclosed. The device, embarked on board the airplane, comprises means for determining a performing time range during which the altitude change maneuver within reduced spacings being desired by the pilots is able to be performed.

Method and device to help an aircraft to altitude change in case of reduced separations

A method for filtering anti-collision alarms for aircraft, the said aircraft comprising means for calculating its speed and extrapolated positions on its trajectory, the said extrapolated positions being calculated over a fixed maximum time period, called extrapolation time, and a topographical database of the terrain, the said database comprising, within a given perimeter, data on the density of obstacles, comprises a calculation of a weighting coefficient for the extrapolation time of the calculated extrapolated trajectories of the aircraft as a function of the density of obstacles within a surface area included within the perimeter.

Method for reducing nuisance alarms for anti-collision with obstacles on aircraft

As the aviation community moves toward the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), the current Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II) may become inadequate. This paper describes two types of algorithms that use Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) as the surveillance source for future airborne collision avoidance systems (CASs). The first type, denoted by NextCAS I, estimates the range, range rate, altitude and altitude rate from the ADS-B state vector information but maintains much of the detection and all of the resolution logic structure of the current TCAS. The second type, denoted by NextCAS II, provides a novel approach to detection and resolution of air traffic conflicts in the 3-dimensional (3-D) airspace between two aircraft. The inputs to the detection algorithm are the current 3-D position and speed vector of both aircraft and a cylindrical minimum safety protection zone (PZ) around the conflicting aircraft. For a CAS, the size of the configurable PZ can be assigned values that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) considers as a near mid-air collision (NMAC1) incident. When available, additional inputs, such as measurement uncertainties and intruder type (e.g., manned/unmanned), can be used to alter the default protection zone. The conflict detection takes into account the 3-D encounter (e.g., closure rate, miss distance, relative converging maneuver). The resolution algorithm initially computes a set of six resolution advisories (RAs) and associated resolution alert times that ensure no violation of the protection zone. The six resolutions consist of three sets of two maneuvers related to: ground track (left, right), forward speed (speed up, slow down), and vertical speed (climb, descend). The 1 NMAC - The NMAC is defined by a cylindrical volume with a radius of 500 ft and a height of 200 ft, centered on each aircraft. initial solutions take into account ownship capability (i.e., max climb/descent rate, max turn rate, max speed/stall speed) and ownship pilot response delay (e.g., autonomous vs. manual RA execution). These six solutions are subsequently down-selected in two steps: first, based on the encounter geometry, a single implicitly coordinated, independent solution is selected for each of the three dimensions; then, based on ownship preferences and operational considerations, a final RA solution is selected.

Design principles and algorithm development for two types of NextGen airborne conflict detection and collision avoidance

: The systems engineering technical processes are not sufficiently supported by methods and tools that quantitatively integrate human considerations into early system design. Because of this, engineers must often rely on qualitative judgments or delay critical decisions until late in the system lifecycle. Studies reveal that this is likely to result in cost, schedule, and performance consequences. This dissertation presents a methodology to improve the application of systems engineering technical processes for design. This methodology is mathematically rigorous, is grounded in relevant theory, and applies extant human subjects data to critical systems development challenges. The methodology is expressed in four methods that support early systems engineering activities: a requirements elicitation method, a function allocation method, an input device design method, and a display layout design method. These form a coherent approach to early system development. Each method is separately discussed and demonstrated using a prototypical system development program. In total, this original and significant work has a broad range of systems engineer applicability to improve the engineering of human systems integration.

/pdf/an-empirical-methodology-for-engineering-human-systems-5ceigkbegi.pdf

An Empirical Methodology for Engineering Human Systems Integration

As the aviation community moves toward the next generation air transportation system (NextGen), current airborne collision avoidance technology may become inadequate. The traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) was developed some time ago, and its ability to accommodate the air-to-air applications and air traffic control (ATC) procedures that are envisioned for NextGen is limited. There is a need to analyze the role of future NextGen technologies such as automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) in the overall collision avoidance concept and architecture. This paper will describe a MITRE research effort addressing the following three fundamental research questions: What are the desired NextGen operations that are incompatible with current TCAS? What new enabling technologies and design principles could meet the NextGen needs? What are the key functional needs that ensure enhancements and modifications do not detract from safety-the primary function of the collision avoidance system? In this paper we will discuss the technical approach applied to the research, and identify projected TCAS limitations in meeting future air-to-air applications and ATC procedures.

W.D. Love

Papers

Exploration of new algorithms for airborne collision detection and avoidance to meet NextGen capabilities