NASA Collaborates With FAA to Create New Drone Approaches Against Wildfires

NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration have created the Wildland Fire Airspace Operations research transition team to seek wide-ranging and more effective drone technologies to fight and prevent wildfires. The team will explore ways by which government agencies and private companies can integrate uncrewed aircraft vehicles in future wildfire operations.

According to NASA, improving unmanned aerial vehicles’ airspace integration is one of the solutions to overcome the current aircraft firefighting capabilities limited only to times of clear visibility. Deploying uncrewed aerial vehicles safely in wildfire management response would, however, require airspace management systems enhanced for situational awareness, NASA said Friday.

The agency is also collaborating with the FAA and other government bodies, as well as private companies and the scientific community, in its Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations project to improve wildfire management.

Launched in 2023, ACERO relies on advanced aviation communication technologies to operate UAVs safely in restricted airspace around wildfires. NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate administers ACERO from the agency’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, wildfires have grown larger and more frequent. In August 2023, the agency awarded five companies spots on a potential 10-year, $7.2 billion contract for wildland fire airtanker support services.