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NASA

ROA 2009: C.3 Next Gen-Airportal Project (AP1R)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA Headquarters
Deadline: December 1, 2009

The NextGen-Airportal Project works in close collaboration with the NextGen- Airspace Project to conduct airspace and Airportal foundational research and discipline-based technology development for the nation. The Project focuses NASA’s technical expertise and world-class facilities to enable the highest possible efficiency in the use of gates, taxiways, runways, metroplex airspace, and other Airportal resources. In pursuit of that goal, the project is researching, developing, demonstrating, and validating operational concepts, proof-of-concept systems, algorithms, technologies, tools, and operational procedures designed to maximize capacity and throughput in the Airportal environment while enabling associated elements of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) as defined by the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO). Project performance objectives seek to use 4-D trajectories (aircraft path from “block-to-block,” including the path along the ground) to plan and execute system-wide operations; integrate 4-D trajectory operations with safe, optimized surface and terminal area traffic operations (particularly those associated with C-14 wake hazard prediction and avoidance); balance environmental issues in, and around, airports; match surface and airside capacities with arrival and departure air traffic flow; and assess local benefits of Airportal transformation by modeling changes to the current airport configuration. In support of these objectives, research activities will focus on:

• Optimization of surface traffic
• Dynamic airport configuration management
• Advanced technologies to detect and avoid wake vortex hazards
• New procedures for performing safe, closely spaced and converging approaches at closer distances than are currently allowed
• Modeling, simulation, and experimental validation focused on efficient operations of single and multiple regional airports (metroplex)

NextGen-Airportal Project research focus areas (RFAs) are the following: Safe and Efficient Surface Operations (SESO), Coordinated Arrival and Departure Operations Management (CADOM), and Airportal and Metroplex Integration (AMI). SESO conducts research to manage traffic on the airport surface (gates, taxiways, and runways) safely and efficiently to enable maximum throughput and capacity in the airport environment. CADOM focuses on concepts and technologies needed to mitigate operational constraints to maximizing single and multiple airport capacity. AMI focuses on management of metroplex operations, integration of work across the Project’s technical areas, and crosscutting research (e.g., human/system integration and concept analyses for portfolio management). The NextGen-Airportal Project team has developed a plan that will enable capacity and efficiency improvements in the airportal domain through joint research efforts and partnerships with other government agencies. In addition to conducting core research and development, NASA will establish Space Act Agreements with U.S. industry to address research partnerships at the system wide level, including systems integration and operational applications. The Project will utilize this NASA Research Announcement (NRA) to leverage in house foundational research with academic institutions, non-profit organizations and industry performing foundational research to address technology gaps.

ROA 2009: C.4 NextGen-Airspace Project (AS2R)
Deadline: December 1, 2009

The NextGen Airspace Project develops and explores fundamental concepts and integrated solutions that address the optimal allocation of ground and air automation technologies necessary for next generation air transportation system (NextGen). The Project will focus NASA’s technical expertise and world-class facilities to address the question of where, when, how and the extent to which automation can be applied to moving aircraft safely and efficiently through the National Airspace System (NAS). Research in this Project will address 4D Trajectory Operations, including advances in the C-34 science and applications of multi-aircraft trajectory optimization that solves the demand/capacity imbalance problem while taking into account weather information and forecast uncertainties and while keeping aircraft safely separated. The Project’s research will develop and test concepts for advanced traffic flow management to provide trajectory planning and execution across the spectrum of time horizons from “strategic planning” to “separation assurance.” Ultimately, the roles and responsibilities of humans and automation influence every technical area and will be addressed. The NextGen Airspace Project team has developed a plan that will integrate solutions for a safe, efficient and high-capacity airspace system through joint research efforts and partnerships with other government agencies. In addition to core research and development to be conducted by NASA, Space Act Agreements will be established with U.S. industry to address research partnerships at the system-wide level including systems integration and operational applications. The Project will utilize this NASA Research Announcement (NRA) to leverage in-house foundational research with academic institutions, non-profit organizations and industry performing foundational research to address technology gaps. This current solicitation seeks proposals related to the following NextGen Airspace Project research focus areas: System-Level Design, Analysis, and Simulation Tools (SLDAST). SLDAST will develop system design and analysis tools to assess the functional/temporal distribution of authority and responsibility among/between automation and humans. Solicitations for other research focus areas will be posted in future announcements. Milestone references for Subtopics in this section of the NRA are provided below under the heading “Milestones Supported” so that it is possible to see how the NRA topics fit into the NASA Aeronautics research plan. These milestones are listed on project roadmaps that are available on the ARMD website (www.aeronautics.nasa.gov, under the Programs link).

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Department of Defense

The Air Force Materiel Command has reissued its invitation for white papers for research on Information Warfare: Offensive and Defensive Counterinformation. The goal is to identify and develop technologies to enable a distributed information infrastructure that provides all the mechanisms and services required to allow the warfighters to craft their C4I information environments, including ability to establish distributed virtual staffs, to share a common consistent perception of the battlespace, and construct distributed task teams among sensors, shooters, movers, and command posts. Additional funding of up to $10.9 million has been made available for the announcement, allowing the command to accept white papers any time before Dec. 31 or until funding is depleted. Eligibility is unrestricted domestically; participation from certain other allied countries also is permitted. More information regarding BAA-06-12-IFKA is available at: https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/AFRLRRS/Reference-Number-BAA-06-12-IFKA/listing.html .

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office invites proposals for advanced Defense Research and Technology in a variety of enabling technical areas in the following disciplines: biology, material sciences, physical sciences, neuroscience, and mathematics. Proposals may be either basic or applied research, but must have the potential for making, in the 5-10 year timeframe, revolutionary rather than incremental improvements to national security, including emerging threats and operational challenges. Multiple awards are anticipated. Eligibility is unrestricted, with some restrictions however on FFRDCs. White papers and full proposals may be submitted any time before March 8, 2010. More information regarding DARPA-BAA-09-31 is available at: https://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/DARPA-BAA-09-31/listing.html .

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has issued a Broad Agency Announcement to allow continuous submission of abstracts and proposals to the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) that do not address topics currently covered by open IARPA solicitations. Potential responders are highly encouraged to review the current IARPA solicitation list at http://www.iarpa.gov/solicitations.html to avoid proposing efforts that are responsive to other IARPA solicitations. IARPA anticipates most supported projects will be for early stage research that may lead to larger, focused programs in the future. Eligibility is unrestricted. Abstracts and proposals are due before Aug 31. More information regarding IARPA-BAA-09-04 is available at: https://www.fbo.gov/notices/842c379af8e0eb4dd768699189f04b0a.