NASA awards airspace research contracts

WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency has awarded $12 million in research contracts to study how the introduction of new aircraft might affect air traffic control.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate selected teams led by the Raytheon Co. of Waltham, Mass., and the Sensis Corp. of East Syracuse, N.Y., to receive separate 18-month study contracts valued at $6 million each. The companies will investigate how various aircraft types might affect air traffic management efficiency, aviation safety and the environment.

"Through these studies we can begin to understand how to design an air traffic management system that can accommodate the aircraft of the future," said Karlin Toner, director of NASA's Airspace Systems Program.

The teams will examine the potential impacts of seven classes of air vehicles on the nation's airspace -- very light jets, super heavy transports, uncrewed aircraft, supersonic transports, cruise efficient short takeoff and landing aircraft, rotorcraft and business class aircraft.