Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CORUS-XUAM (CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS FOR EUROPEAN U-SPACE SERVICES - EXTENSION FOR URBAN AIR MOBILITY)
Reporting period: 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31
CORUS-XUAM is a 24-month project aiming to produce an extension of the U-space ConOps to support integrated Urban Air Mobility (UAM) flight operations as well as demonstrate how U-space services and solutions could be implemented with current technologies, through 6 Very Large Demonstrations (VLD) campaigns in seven different European locations.
UAM operations are promising better, more sustainable transport technologies and models to improve commute times and accelerate the transport of goods across towns and urban environments.
In order to enable U-space UAM operations CORUS-XUAM aims to identify and demonstrate solutions that allow all airspace users (unmanned and manned) to operate safely, securely, sustainably and efficiently in a controlled and fully integrated airspace.
The 4 main objectives are:
1. Objective 1: “Using early versions of end-user systems, test mature and validated operational U-space concepts and services, in the context of UAM, that address representative environments, diverse types of operation, link with urban transport and infrastructure and Comprehensive traffic mix ”.
2. Objective 2: “Refine U-space services and solutions specifically relying on a high level of digitalisation and automation of functions enabling safe, secure, sustainable and fully integrated UAM”.
3. Objective 3: “Extend U-space CONOPS to address the specificities of Urban Air Mobility
4. Objective 4: “Boost the use of U-space capabilities and services in Urban Air Mobility.”
UAM operations are promising better, more sustainable transport technologies and models to improve commute times and accelerate the transport of goods across towns and urban environments.
In order to enable U-space UAM operations CORUS-XUAM aims to identify and demonstrate solutions that allow all airspace users (unmanned and manned) to operate safely, securely, sustainably and efficiently in a controlled and fully integrated airspace.
The 4 main objectives are:
1. Objective 1: “Using early versions of end-user systems, test mature and validated operational U-space concepts and services, in the context of UAM, that address representative environments, diverse types of operation, link with urban transport and infrastructure and Comprehensive traffic mix ”.
2. Objective 2: “Refine U-space services and solutions specifically relying on a high level of digitalisation and automation of functions enabling safe, secure, sustainable and fully integrated UAM”.
3. Objective 3: “Extend U-space CONOPS to address the specificities of Urban Air Mobility
4. Objective 4: “Boost the use of U-space capabilities and services in Urban Air Mobility.”
The main activities in the period have consisted in:
• Definition of the Urban Air mobility operational framework, also addressing the operational performance requirements and the social impact. The activity of the task T3.3 definition of the safety and contingency requirements encountered some delay and a re-planning was necessary.
• Organisation of a 1st CORUS-XUAM Stakeholder Consultation Workshop and the CORUS-XUAM Advisory Board Workshop to present the CORUS-XUAM project and discuss with the community of stakeholders and the Advisory Board members the relevant UAM aspects to be included in the Project ConOps.
• Initial preparation work for the creation of the ConOps, including operational architecture and the Modelling services and system analysis. The activity of the task T4 1 on the update of the ConOps encountered some delay and a re-planning was necessary.
• Preparation of the 6 VLDs and the linked Demonstration Plan: planning, set-up and organisation of the VLD, preparation of safety-cases and coordination with local and aviation authorities to secure authorization for the flights.
• Definition of the Urban Air mobility operational framework, also addressing the operational performance requirements and the social impact. The activity of the task T3.3 definition of the safety and contingency requirements encountered some delay and a re-planning was necessary.
• Organisation of a 1st CORUS-XUAM Stakeholder Consultation Workshop and the CORUS-XUAM Advisory Board Workshop to present the CORUS-XUAM project and discuss with the community of stakeholders and the Advisory Board members the relevant UAM aspects to be included in the Project ConOps.
• Initial preparation work for the creation of the ConOps, including operational architecture and the Modelling services and system analysis. The activity of the task T4 1 on the update of the ConOps encountered some delay and a re-planning was necessary.
• Preparation of the 6 VLDs and the linked Demonstration Plan: planning, set-up and organisation of the VLD, preparation of safety-cases and coordination with local and aviation authorities to secure authorization for the flights.
UAM provision of aerial mobility services in urban and suburban areas, will require many different and evolving types of air vehicles, from medium-sized aircraft to small drones, from manned vehicles through remotely piloted ones to fully automated ones, and from passenger transport through goods delivery to surveillance or inspection vehicles. The safe integration of any of these air vehicles is the challenge of the demonstrations conducted in this project. Six demonstrations are planned in different EU countries, each with a different scenario, interacting to some degree with managed airspace, to validate the safety of a wide variety of business cases, using UAM vehicles with different performance and functionalities.
In line with the call challenge, the CORUS-XUAM consortium recognises that an advanced set of U-space services are required to support UAM operations taking place in connection with airports or other city hubs, potentially entering shared airspace where some of them may receive ATC services. The project demonstrations will follow the development of the CORUS-XUAM ConOps, an integrated and a fully accepted U-space ConOps for UAM, with a reference architecture precisely describing the advanced services and providing the foundation upon which the required technical and infrastructure developments can be better defined. The final objective is the success of the incipient drone and UAM market, considering the main stakeholders interested (ANSP, USP, smart cities, industry, citizens, airport operators), to achieve its full potential without compromising the current high level of air transport safety.
The project is expected to have positive impacts on the following aspects:
• Development of aerial operating procedures in urban areas (Safety)
• Increase of situational awareness(Safety)
• Improved governance of U-space (Safety)
• Development of recommendations for regulation and standardisation (Safety)
• Support the technical and infrastructure deployments in cities (Safety, Market)
• Contribute to a fair access to the airspace (Capacity and Efficiency)
• Contribute to transport innovation (Market)
• Improvement of the urban mobility and its carbon and noise footprint (Environment)
• Emergency situations management (Safety and Social)
• New jobs perspectives, services and elements for economic grow (Socio-economic)
• Contribute to the use of the airspace by new stakeholders (UAM) (Access and Equity)
• New form of business aviation (Access and Equity-Market)
In line with the call challenge, the CORUS-XUAM consortium recognises that an advanced set of U-space services are required to support UAM operations taking place in connection with airports or other city hubs, potentially entering shared airspace where some of them may receive ATC services. The project demonstrations will follow the development of the CORUS-XUAM ConOps, an integrated and a fully accepted U-space ConOps for UAM, with a reference architecture precisely describing the advanced services and providing the foundation upon which the required technical and infrastructure developments can be better defined. The final objective is the success of the incipient drone and UAM market, considering the main stakeholders interested (ANSP, USP, smart cities, industry, citizens, airport operators), to achieve its full potential without compromising the current high level of air transport safety.
The project is expected to have positive impacts on the following aspects:
• Development of aerial operating procedures in urban areas (Safety)
• Increase of situational awareness(Safety)
• Improved governance of U-space (Safety)
• Development of recommendations for regulation and standardisation (Safety)
• Support the technical and infrastructure deployments in cities (Safety, Market)
• Contribute to a fair access to the airspace (Capacity and Efficiency)
• Contribute to transport innovation (Market)
• Improvement of the urban mobility and its carbon and noise footprint (Environment)
• Emergency situations management (Safety and Social)
• New jobs perspectives, services and elements for economic grow (Socio-economic)
• Contribute to the use of the airspace by new stakeholders (UAM) (Access and Equity)
• New form of business aviation (Access and Equity-Market)