WASHINGTON – NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate is preparing a significant addition to its research opportunities. The NASA Research Announcement will include an appendix outlining the requirements on the proposal topic “Integration of Advanced Concepts and Vehicles into the Next Generation Air Transportation System.” In preparation, the directorate will sponsor a pre-proposal conference at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel on Aug. 9.

The conference will help NASA’s Aeronautics directorate refine topic requirements. The broad aeronautics community will have the opportunity to ask questions, solicit clarification and offer improvements to the scope of the study. Teaming discussions with other participants will be encouraged.

The purpose of this research announcement is to conduct systems analyses to understand the issues associated with the coordinated deployment of new and advanced concepts and vehicles in the Next Generation Air Transportation System, known as NextGen. Issues include interaction among the vehicles, operational procedures and the NextGen Concept of Operations.

This study is important to NASA’s entire Aeronautics program portfolio. The effort will establish an analysis infrastructure that can be used to answer questions involving the interaction of air traffic management, vehicle, safety, and environmental issues. The study also will be coordinated with other relevant studies, including NextGen trade studies sponsored by the Joint Planning and Development Office. This research announcement is being planned as a multi-million dollar effort performed over a period of one to two years, with potential for follow-on efforts.

Further conference details are available on the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s site at:

http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/nra.htm