Advanced air mobility in the city and noise level

When we think about incorporating drones, air taxis, or other urban aircraft into a city’s transportation system, noise is a common concern. Will these aircraft fly over residential areas? Will they contribute to noise pollution?

NASA (the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is working to ensure that when these innovative new aircraft enter airspace, they are quiet.

NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) initiative is developing design tools that manufacturers in the aviation industry can use to reduce noise emissions. The AAM initiative staff works closely with the Revolutionary Vertical Ascent Technology project staff to conduct trials with their industry partners.

The data NASA collects and analyzes from these tests with electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft will ensure that the agency’s aircraft design tools correctly predict noise levels for this type. vehicular. By having tools that correctly predict noise, manufacturers can design vehicles for quiet operation in urban areas.

The data will also help define and optimize the ideal flight paths (with low noise impact) for the Advanced Air Mobility initiative, and will help the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) create appropriate regulations. The lessons learned from these tests will guide the FAA’s future work with airspace operations and integration.

Among the projects that have been launched within the framework of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility initiative, one of them is the development of design tools that manufacturers can use to reduce noise emissions in their aircraft. (Image: NASA Graphics/Alex Gulino)

The AAM initiative consists of several projects focused on different elements to help make advanced air mobility a reality. This includes work on automation, noise damping, vehicle and vertical port (vertiport) design, and airspace design to keep all aircraft safe as they fly together across the sky. Government agencies and industry will need to combine their efforts to build new air highways that serve the needs of the public.

NASA’s goal is to plan a new safe, accessible, and affordable air transportation system together with its industry partners, the public, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Once this system is developed, passengers and cargo will travel on demand in innovative and automated aircraft across the city, between neighboring cities or to other places currently normally accessible by car. (Source: NASA)