Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
A group of Cornell University students is researching a national air transportation management system to safely handle thousands of drones operating simultaneously, supported by NASA through the University Student Research Challenge (USRC) program.
Mehrnaz Sabet, the doctoral student leading the research, noted that while NASA has focused on drone traffic management systems for years, their team is exploring innovative safety solutions by managing drone movements dynamically in the air.
Currently, drone operators must submit detailed flight plans specifying their intended routes, which are reviewed to avoid collisions—a process known as strategic deconfliction. However, as drone numbers increase, the current system may not scale sufficiently and could overload airspace management.
The research team aims to introduce a system similar to ground vehicle traffic control, where drivers do not coordinate their entire travel routes in advance but follow traffic laws and signals, allowing real-time deconfliction. This model would let drone operators file flight plans while enabling adaptive route adjustments during flight.
NASA's acting director of the Airspace Operations and Safety Program, Parimal Koperdekar, stated that the team's work—spanning software development, algorithm design, hardware and sensor integration, lab tests, simulations, and real flight trials—offers a comprehensive approach to improving drone safety.
This research aligns with broader goals in air mobility technologies, including urban air taxis, enhanced disaster response aircraft, and rapid delivery systems.