OBJECTIVES

It is envisioned that in the following decade VLL traffic will increase exponentially, not only by the use of drones1, but also due to the operation of optionally piloted aircrafts. In order to maintain the level of risk in aerial operations, as in the last 20 years, it will be necessary to develop a number of new services and specific procedures that conforms the so-called U-Space [1]. Due to the expected large number of drones that will operate in the next decade, these services will require a high level of digitalisation and automation of functions that will facilitate not only a safe integration, but also a secure and efficient one.

Therefore, the main objective of this project is to perform VLL operations that demonstrate the integration of different types of platforms (manned and unmanned) in the same airspace using novel U-space services and procedures. These services are aligned with the identified phases in the U-Space development plan, considering in this project all the services of phases U1 (U-space foundation services) and U2 (U-space initial services), and a simplified version of U3 phases advanced services:

• Pre-flight services: e-registration, e-identification, flight planning and approval.
• In-flight services: geofencing, flight tracking, airspace dynamic information and automated detect&avoid technologies.

In order to implement these new services, a number of enabling technologies and systems have been identified as essential:

• Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system: this project will integrate real-time functionalities for UTM systems, such as: flight tracking, dynamic geofencing, and dynamic airspace information acquisition from ATM systems. Moreover, this project will explore the procedures and exchange of information required to have several UTM systems operating within the same airspace.
• European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS): this project will make use of EGNOS as the main navigation technology for drones, allowing the reduction of the safety margins between simultaneous drone operations, taking more advantage of the available airspace and increasing the efficiency of U-Space services. Also, EGNOS Safety of Life service will be used to monitor the status of GPS system, increasing even more the safety level of drone operations with specific procedures in case GPS performance and reliability decreases.
• Communication systems: this project will explore the use of mobile-network infrastructure (4G technology) and satellite systems (like for example Iridium or Inmarsat) to increase the robustness and reliability not only of the C2 communication, but also the communication with UTM.
• Autonomous functionalities: this project will apply novel robotics technologies that will allow drones to detect & avoid fixed obstacles (like cranes and buildings) and weather events, change their flight plan automatically in case of detection of conflicts with other aircrafts, and also will allow the operation of several drones by a single operator.

SAFEDRONE project will perform experiments where both VLOS and BVLOS operations will be jointly performed in rural and semi-urban areas. A fixed-wing UAV with autonomy up to two hours will be used for long-range surveying, while multicopters with advanced autonomous functionalities will be used for light-load movement emulating delivery applications of medical assets. Also, the MRI manned aircraft from INDRA will be used for long-endurance surveying. Moreover, small drones (both multicopters and fixed-wing) will be used, in the surroundings of the area of operation, to complement the scenario and recreate complex U-Space operations and procedures.

This project has a first phase where different already available technologies and systems will be adapted to the specific needs of VLL operations with drones. In a second stage, all these technologies will be integrated in already available drones to emulate a complete U-Space system. Finally, an extensive test campaign will be performed in order to demonstrate the increment of TRL of such technologies and identified the gaps to be filled to allow commercial solutions to operate. Several different demonstration scenarios are considered with up to 10 aircrafts flying simultaneously, which as far as we know, will be the largest U-Space demonstration that has never been developed before in Europe. On the other hand, the lessons learnt and the technologies used during the project will be proposed to the different standardization bodies (such as EUROCAE and GUTMA3) and regulatory authorities (like EASA and JARUS) to provide evidence that supports the safe integration of drones in VLL operations.

1. Demonstrate how to integrate general aviation (commercial activities with rotorcrafts, light aircrafts and non-commercial activities), state aviation, optionally piloted aircrafts and drones into non-segregated airspace in a multi-aircraft and manned flight environment, in order to explore the feasibility of U-Space vision by 2019.
2. Perform a large number of demonstrations in order to accumulate evidences and experience about the required services and procedures necessary to operate drones in a safe, efficient and secure way within U-Space.
3. Validate proof of concept implementations of a large variety of U-Space services and procedures, particularly:
   1. Services related to phase U1 (e-registration, e-identification and geotracking), U2 (flight planning, approval, tracking, airspace dynamic information and interface with ATM) and partially U3 (operating several UAVs with a single operator, detect and avoid functionalities).
   2. Procedures for the following situations:
      • A general aviation aircraft has to cross an area where drones are performing aerial works. The same situation will be studied with state aviation aircrafts taken into consideration their particularities.
      • A drone goes out of its allocated airspace.
      • A general aviation aircraft performs an aerial work, partially in controlled airspace (ATM) and partially in low level operations.
      • A drone has to perform an aerial work at very low altitude but in controlled airspace.
      • Mechanisms to ensure an equal and fair access to the airspace by all the users (of manned and unmanned aircrafts).
4. Provide evidences to EASA and National Aviation Authorities (like AESA in Spain that already supports the activities of the project; see support letter in Annex 1) to reinforce the safe integration of drones under U-Space for the different categories (Open, Specific and Certified). Also, the lessons learnt and the technologies used during the project will be proposed to the different standardization bodies (such as EUROCAE and GUTMA) to help in designing the future standards for drones, mainly under the Specific Category.
5. Coordination with the recently approved SESAR-RPAS projects in order to align the demonstrations with the CONOPS and technological developments of these projects.
6. Increase the awareness of the advances in U-Space within Europe through the dissemination of the obtained results. Moreover, a final technical workshop with flight demonstrations will be organized to present the results of the project to the SESAR community as well as receive feedback about the obtained conclusions.