Through a NASA contract with its UAS Test Site at Griffiss International Airport, Oneida County, New York has been awarded an $897,000 task order for Advanced Air Mobility development.

To support high-density vertiport operations that allow for vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the county’s UAS test site, which is one of just seven sanctioned UAS test sites by the FAA in the U.S., will conduct research in automation technology for NASA.

“Oneida County’s long-standing partnership with NASA has proven to be a productive one,” says Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr., who announced the award.

“Together, we have conducted crucial research that has led to transformative advancements in the UAS industry. I look forward to the impact this new collaboration will have on the future of this emerging technology.”

The task order is part of NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Integrated Aviation Systems Program Advanced Air Mobility Project. According to Oneida County, the work conducted will help support the project in a variety of areas, including understanding barriers to the operation of vertiports, developing infrastructure requirements needed to increase their scale and maturing automation technologies to support the growth of their traffic.

The task will also help mature testing range requirements for the Advanced Air Mobility national campaign series. The series expects to host future events that highlight high-volume vertiport operations for passenger-carrying electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) operations.

The goal of the research is to develop technology that will support safe, secure, resilient and efficient heavy-lift UAS cargo delivery and passenger carrying.

Expected to be executed over the next year, the task is the latest in a line of orders from NASA. As a result, more work is expected to be awarded.

“This new NASA task order has positioned Oneida County to be the leader in Advanced Air Mobility development,” says Oneida County Aviation Commissioner Chad Lawrence. “It is a testament to the high quality of work conducted by our UAS Test Site and its partners.”