Ground transportation giant Uber has partnered with NASA through a Space Act Agreement to figure out how to safely introduce its concept of transporting urban travelers by air. UberAir plans to use light, VTOL vehicles to quickly whisk passengers from one location to another, bypassing the gridlock of traffic that has become the norm in many large cities. NASA is helping develop traffic management systems for this new concept of air taxi. The agreement was announced at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.
NASA Signs Space Act Agreement with Uber
Key Takeaways:
- Uber has partnered with NASA to develop air traffic management systems for its UberAir concept, an urban air taxi service utilizing VTOL vehicles.
- Uber plans to launch a test phase of UberAir in Dallas and Los Angeles by 2020, aiming for full operational status by 2023.
- The company is collaborating with multiple manufacturers, rather than building its own, to develop the necessary vehicles for the service.
- UberAir platforms require FAA approval, a process expected to take over two years, and it is currently unclear if the vehicles will be manned or unmanned.
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