(Oct 8, 2008)

Humans Systems Integration researchers were among the many recipients of the 2007 Robert J. Collier Trophy. For the past decade, aeronautics researchers at NASA's Ames Research Center and NASA's Langley Research Center have been supporting research and testing of a new tracking system called Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS-B, and how it can be used for air traffic management.

ADS-B will be a key component in the success of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), which is being designed in an all-out effort by the FAA, NASA and other agency partners. NASA's Airspace Systems Program is using ADS-B to model merging and spacing concepts for the NextGen with the goals of reducing delays, reducing aircraft emissions and improving overall efficiency. Thanks to innovative technologies like ADS-B, and NASA knowledge and expertise, transforming our current air transportation system into one that is better for all of us is becoming a reality. NASA is helping to transform airspace, one plane at a time and showing how the nation is benefitting from a modest investment in America's space program.