NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have joined forces to establish a research transition team focused on developing technology for wildland fire management. This initiative comes in response to the increasing frequency and scale of wildland fires, as reported by the U.S. Forest Service. It is evident that emergency responders will need to adopt a wider range of technologies to effectively prevent, monitor, and combat these fires.
The Wildland Fire Airspace Operations research transition team, led by NASA and the FAA, aims to create and test new technologies that enhance airspace integration for wildland fire management. Currently, aerial firefighting operations are limited to times of clear visibility to avoid potential hazards like collision with terrain or other aircraft. Drones have the potential to overcome this limitation by enabling remote monitoring and suppression of fires during nighttime or low visibility conditions, such as when there is heavy smoke.
To address the challenges faced by aerial firefighters, NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project, in collaboration with the FAA, will focus on developing new airspace access and traffic management concepts and technologies over the next four years. These advancements will not only support current wildland fire operations but also contribute to the development of a future concept of operations for wildland fire management.
The team will also conduct tests and validations of uncrewed aircraft technologies for potential use by commercial industries and government agencies. This effort will pave the way for the integration of these technologies into future wildland fire operations. ACERO is being led by NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley under the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, signifying NASA’s commitment to advancing emergency response capabilities.