Wisk, NASA sign agreement to advance autonomous aircraft integration into U.S. airspace

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Wisk Aero in Mountain View, Calif., announced it has entered into a new five-year agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to advance research on integrating autonomous aircraft under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) into the National Airspace System (NAS).

The Non-Reimbursable Space Act Agreement (NRSAA) builds on a previous collaboration between the two organizations and will focus on simulations and Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) flight environments. The goal is to inform the development of future flight procedures, safety systems, and airspace integration strategies for autonomous, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

"This new, long-term agreement with NASA is a significant step forward for Wisk and the broader UAM industry," said Erick Corona, Director of Airspace Operational Integration at Wisk. "With NASA’s simulation and LVC capabilities, we can accelerate the development of our Gen 6 autonomous systems to safely and efficiently integrate into the U.S. NAS before the end of the decade."

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Wisk and NASA first partnered in 2020 to support the safe integration of autonomous aircraft in urban air mobility (UAM) operations. Under the new agreement, research will focus on designing airspace routes for highly automated operations, defining requirements for onboard and ground-based safety systems, and developing air traffic control communication protocols tailored to uncrewed aircraft.

The research aims to support regulators in creating frameworks for autonomous passenger flight and strengthen U.S. leadership in automated aviation.

Last month, teams from Wisk and NASA launched initial work with a workshop at the FAA’s Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City. Discussions centered on the coordination of instrument flight procedures and advanced automation technologies for future autonomous flight operations.

Wisk, a Boeing subsidiary, is developing an all-electric, self-flying air taxi for passenger use in the United States. The company has completed more than 1,750 test flights and plans to introduce autonomous UAM services later this decade.