Engineering:ASTRAEA
Autonomous Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation & Assessment (ASTRAEA) is a project to develop UAVs to fly in civil airspace.[1][2] Both UK government agencies and companies such as AOS Group, BAE Systems, Qinetiq, Rolls-Royce plc, Cassidian, Cobham plc, EADS and Thales UK are involved.[1] The project began in 2006.[3][1][4]
Currently UAVs can only operate in UK airspace under restricted conditions.[3]
ParcAberporth has a centre dedicated to ASTRAEA.[4] Permission has been sought for a permanent segregated airspace around ParcAberporth for testing UAVs over land.[5][6]
Concerns about safety, privacy and noise were raised during consultative sessions.[7]
Test Flights
Test flights are scheduled to run from May to September 2012 over the Irish Sea.[2] A Jetstream aircraft is being as a UAV and a Piper Seneca as an 'intruder' to test the sense and avoid systems.[2][1]
In April 2013 the first unmanned flight over British airspace was successfully completed when BAE Systems flew a Jetstream 31 from Warton, Fylde near Preston to Inverness in Scotland. The aircraft, described as the "flying test bed" was controlled by a pilot at Warton using advanced sensors and on-board robotic systems. The flight was not strictly “unmanned” as two pilots flew in the cockpit as a precaution but they were required only to monitor the flight and not to actively engage in any flying. ASTRAEA programme director Lambert Dopping-Hepenstal said: the work being done " will likely impact all of us in the next five, 10, 20 years as unmanned aircraft and associated technology develop and become a part of everyday life". The governments Business and energy minister Michael Fallon said: "We welcome this pioneering flight at the end of the ASTRAEA programme. ASTRAEA has made significant achievements, placing the UK industry in a good position globally on unmanned aircraft and the development of regulations for their civil use."[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Robinson, Tim (15 September 2011). "Drones of Peace". Royal Aeronautical Society. Archived from the original on 4 December 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111204083057/http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight/2011/09/15/drones-of-peace/5346/. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Milmo, Dan (7 May 2012). "Pilotless planes project begins test flights over Irish Sea". The Guardian (London). https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/may/07/pilotless-planes-test-flights-astraea. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Haines, Lester (30 August 2006). "UK examines civilian use of UAVs". The Register. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/30/uav_project/. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "ASTRAEA Centre to be established at ParcAberporth". Welsh Government. 7 July 2006. http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/businessandeconomy/2006/4029318/?lang=en.
- ↑ "Airspace testing". Tivyside Advertiser. 1 July 2008. http://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/2372583.airspace_testing/. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- ↑ "Air testing plans". Tivyside Advertiser. 3 July 2008. http://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/2378317.air_testing_plans/. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
- ↑ "UAV consultative sessions". Tivyside Advertiser. 18 May 2009. http://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/4377024.print/. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- ↑ "First unmanned flight completed". itv.com. 13 May 2013. http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2013-05-13/first-unmanned-flight-completed//. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
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