| Industry | UAV |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
Autonomous Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation & Assessment (ASTRAEA) is a project to develop unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to fly in civil airspace. Both UK government agencies and companies such as AOS Group, BAE Systems, Qinetiq, Rolls-Royce plc, Cassidian, Cobham plc, EADS and Thales UK are involved. The project began in 2006.
Currently, UAVs can only operate in UK airspace under restricted conditions.
ParcAberporth has a centre dedicated to ASTRAEA. Permission has been sought for a permanent segregated airspace around ParcAberporth for testing UAVs over land.
Concerns about safety, privacy and noise were raised during consultative sessions.
Test Flights
Test flights were performed, between May and September 2012, over the Irish Sea. A Jetstream aircraft is being as a UAV and a Piper Seneca as an 'intruder' to test the sense and avoid systems.
In April 2013 the first unmanned flight over British airspace was successfully completed when BAE Systems flew a Jetstream 31 from Warton Aerodrome, on the Fylde near Preston to Inverness in Scotland. The aircraft, described as the "flying test bed" was controlled by a pilot at Warton using advanced sensors and on-board robotic systems. The flight was not strictly "unmanned" as two pilots flew in the cockpit as a precaution but they were required only to monitor the flight and not to actively engage in any flying. ASTRAEA programme director Lambert Dopping-Hepenstal said: the work being done "will likely impact all of us in the next five, 10, 20 years as unmanned aircraft and associated technology develop and become a part of everyday life". The governments business and energy minister Michael Fallon said: "We welcome this pioneering flight at the end of the ASTRAEA programme. ASTRAEA has made significant achievements, placing the UK industry in a good position globally on unmanned aircraft and the development of regulations for their civil use."
References
- ^ Robinson, Tim (15 September 2011). "Drones of Peace". Royal Aeronautical Society. Archived from the original on 4 December 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ^ Milmo, Dan (7 May 2012). "Pilotless planes project begins test flights over Irish Sea". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ^ Haines, Lester (30 August 2006). "UK examines civilian use of UAVs". The Register. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- ^ "ASTRAEA Centre to be established at ParcAberporth". Welsh Government. 7 July 2006. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012.
- "Airspace testing". Tivyside Advertiser. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- "Air testing plans". Tivyside Advertiser. 3 July 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
- "UAV consultative sessions". Tivyside Advertiser. 18 May 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- "First unmanned flight completed". itv.com. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.