National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2003 Report (excerpts regarding NASA)

107 th Congress 2d Session
SENATE

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in controlled airspace

The committee is encouraged by the Department’s substantial
commitment to procure Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in fiscal year
2003 and in future years. In parallel with the procurement of UAVs,
however, technologies and procedures need to be developed to harmonize
the operation of UAVs with the operation of manned aircraft.

Currently, in order to operate UAVs in the National Air Space (NAS),
the Department must obtain a Certificate of Authorization from the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through a process that can be
cumbersome and time consuming. A primary reason for FAA certification is
the prevention of mid-air collisions: FAA rules require that UAVs
provide a ‘`see and avoid” capability comparable to that of a manned
aircraft. SincVersVs are not currently equipped with an onboard “see
and avoid” capability, chase planes are typically required to ferry
UAVs through the NAS, thus complicating such flights.

The Department has begun development of Detect and Avoid (DAA)
technology, which uses low-cost, lightweight optical sensors to
automatically detect aircraft in the vicinity of a UAV, thereby enabling
operator action to avoid a collision. The committee is encouraged by
this effort and recommends an increase of $4.0 million to PE 63270F to
fund continuation of DAA technology development, to demonstrate this
technology on the Global Hawk UAV, and to implement an interim system
for the Predator UAV that meets FAA standards for flight in the NAS
without a chase aircraft.

In addition, the committee strongly supports the Department’s efforts
to work with the FAA on this issue and is aware of similar efforts
underway at the National Air and Space Administration (NASA). Therefore,
the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications
and Intelligence should continue to support the joint Defense
Department/FAA study on integrating remotely operated aircraft into
civil airspace. In addition, the Secretary should broaden the study’s
membership to include representatives from NASA and industry and ensure
that the study receives the resources required to expeditiously achieve
the goal of flying UAVs through controlled airspace using the same quick
and efficient procedures that are currently used for manned aircraft.”

Future launch and spacelift concepts

The committee is aware that the Department of Defense has identified
responsive, low-cost space launch as a key to meeting a variety of
military needs. Recently, the Air Force completed the Operationally
Responsive Spacelift Mission Need Statement, the first step in the
formal requirements process for future launch and on-orbit systems. The
Air Force believes that operationally responsive spacelift is the key
enabler for conducting a broad range of future space missions.

Working together, the Air Force and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) also completed a number of joint studies to
help identify and define operational requirements and concepts and to
develop a technology roadmap. Included in the technology concept study
was a range of potential vehicle options to meet the range of future Air
Force and NASA needs. One of the tasks of the study was to harmonize Air
Force and NASA reusable launch vehicle technology programs against Air
Force and NASA requirements and architectures. The study concluded that,
although the needs of the two organizations differ, both can receive
significant benefits by working together toward future launch
requirements.

The committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to continue the
process of defining requirements for future operationally responsive
spacelift and report back to this committee. The report shall be
provided to the committee no later than February 15, 2003. In the
report, the Secretary should assess whether any such requirement can be
met with evolutions of the evolved expendable launch vehicle (EELV), the
shuttle transport system, current generation light launch vehicles, and
the current launch infrastructures. In carrying out the assessment, the
Secretary should also look at the comparative maturity, utility, and
potential development and operational costs of expendable and reusable
launch vehicles alternatives with current launch vehicles. The
comparative analysis should also include launch processes and
infrastructure.

In conducting the review the committee directs the Secretary to
continue the cooperative relationship with NASA and explore the
possibility of a joint development project that could meet requirements
of each organization. The committee would welcome a jointly funded
proposal to begin such an effort for future spacelift requirements.