MITRE: A Pioneering Partner in Aviation’s Evolution

Rapid evolution has defined aviation ever since the Wright brothers launched their first successful powered flight 121 years ago. Today, aviation bears little resemblance to those early days of flight—or even the National Airspace System (NAS) of 1958, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was first formed.

As we celebrate National Aviation History Month, we mark how far aviation has come with a sense of amazement. At the same time, we are witnessing the unfolding of aviation’s future—one where package-delivering drones, automated air taxis, aircraft that fly faster than the speed of sound, and commercial space travel may one day become commonplace.

MITRE—operator of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) federally funded R&D center, the Center for Advanced Aviation System Development, is partnering with the FAA, other government agencies, and the aviation industry to realize that future.

Small uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) are already proliferating in our nation’s airspace. Today, their number exceeds 782,000—more than twice the number of piloted aircraft—and more are on their way. To help integrate these vehicles into the NAS, MITRE has opened an experimentation range dedicated to testing their operations, and we’re working with the FAA, state and local agencies, and across government to support the expansion of drone-based benefits—from emergency response and infrastructure inspection to law enforcement.

Soon, air taxis—or advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles—will join the ranks of uncrewed aircraft flying in the NAS. To prepare for that future, MITRE is working with government and industry to lay the groundwork for a system that will enable all uncrewed aircraft to fly safely in our airspace. It’s called aircraft-to-everything, or A2X. This system would enable uncrewed vehicles to communicate directly with one another—and with ground-based entities—about where they’re flying, the obstacles and weather in the vicinity, and more.

To further prepare for AAM operations, MITRE is researching the microscale weather patterns that could present hazards to their operations, information that could influence the location of vertiports, flight paths, and even the timing of planned flights.

As more and more cities across the globe eye the advantages of implementing AAM as a possible new mode of transportation, a blueprint is needed to support planning. Working with international partners, MITRE has developed a detailed concept of operations to do just that.

Meanwhile, aerospace companies across the world are pursuing the development of supersonic and hypersonic passenger jets capable of flying at one to nine times the speed of sound. MITRE has partnered with Midland, Texas—home to the Midland International Air and Space Port—to create a testbed for high-speed flight technology, a critical first step toward enabling their operations in the coming decades.

These are just some examples of the work occurring today to enable the aviation system of tomorrow. ?

As we look to the future, MITRE is honored to support the FAA and the entire aerospace industry and stakeholder community. We connect our sponsors and partners so we can ensure we’re?anticipating, innovating, and solving the hardest challenges that come with increasing complexity in our skies—creating the next chapter in the history of the ever-evolving field of aviation.

About MITRE

MITRE’s mission-driven teams are dedicated to solving problems for a safer world. Through our public-private partnerships and federally funded R&D centers, we work across government and in partnership with industry to tackle challenges to the safety, stability, and well-being of our nation. Learn more at?www.MITRE.org.