NASA's Langley Research Center has recently conducted a series of tests to enhance the safety and viability of air taxis, focusing on crashworthiness and autonomous flight capabilities.
In November 2022, researchers performed a full-scale drop test of an urban air mobility-style passenger air vehicle model at the Landing and Impact Research Facility. This test aimed to gather critical data on aircraft crash safety by using crash-test dummies to assess crash response and injury likelihood. The findings are intended to inform the development of safety standards for future air taxis and cargo aircraft.
Building on this, in December 2022, NASA completed a full-scale crash test of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) concept vehicle. The test involved a 'Lift+Cruise' model developed by NASA's Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology project. The objective was to understand how these future aircraft might behave in crash scenarios, providing valuable data to refine safety measures and design considerations for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles.
In December 2023, NASA took a significant step toward autonomous flight by successfully flying multiple drones beyond visual line of sight without a visual observer. These drones autonomously navigated obstacles and each other during takeoff, along a planned route, and upon landing. This achievement demonstrates the progress in automation and safety systems, which are crucial for the integration of self-flying air taxis into the national airspace system.
These initiatives reflect NASA's commitment to advancing air mobility technologies while prioritizing passenger safety and operational reliability.