u-Space sePAraTIOn management

Informations projet

SPATIO

N° de convention de subvention: 101114674

DOI

10.3030/101114674

Date de signature de la CE 15 Juin 2023

Date de début 1 Septembre 2023

Date de fin 31 Août 2026

Financé au titre de

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Coût total

€ 10 417 196,25

Contribution de l’UE

€ 6 996 206,01

Coordonné par

ENAIRE
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SPATIO (u-Space sePAraTIOn management)

Période du rapport: 2023-09-01 au 2024-12-31

Résumé du contexte et des objectifs généraux du projet

Ensuring the safe separation of aircraft is a core function of air traffic management (ATM) today. As the number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) increases, effective separation management between these newcomers and traditional aviation becomes crucial to maintaining airspace safety.
The SESAR-supported SPATIO project delivers separation management services that enable drones to operate safely and simultaneously in very low-level airspace. SPATIO addresses conflict resolution both before take-off, through strategic conflict resolution services, and during flight, via tactical conflict resolution. These separation services are fundamental to U-space, Europe’s unmanned traffic management (UTM) system, which aims to control, manage, and integrate all drones—initially in very low-level airspace and eventually at higher altitudes. By uniting industry, ANSPs, institutions, and universities, SPATIO moves beyond isolated research efforts to develop a coordinated, integrated separation management solution for drones.
Additionally, SPATIO lays the groundwork for fairness principles that establish priority mechanisms for UAS operators, moving beyond the conventional "first come, first served" approach, which does not always meet operators' expectations.
SPATIO also integrates separation services with dynamic capacity management, monitoring airspace capacity and demand. This monitoring determines the maximum number of UAS that can safely operate, considering risks to the population and environmental impacts such as noise.
Furthermore, SPATIO advances automation in separation management by developing a ground-based safety net capable of issuing direct commands to drones if pilots fail to respond to instructions.
SPATIO’s solutions will be validated in four real-world environments across Spain, Ireland, and Romania. The system architecture aligns with Europe's vision of multiple U-space service providers operating within the same airspace—even for tactical separation—a significant step forward from traditional aviation practices. These advancements will impact the entire drone ecosystem, including UAS manufacturers, operators, and service providers, fostering market growth and benefiting existing airspace users. Additionally, SPATIO will provide valuable insights for the future development of the ATM industry.
Beyond operational advancements, SPATIO will provide valuable insights into regulatory and standardization needs, as well as the costs and benefits of implementation.
Ultimately, SPATIO will enhance the safe and secure integration of UAS operations in high-risk areas such as airports and urban environments, contributing to broader societal acceptance of drone operations.

Travail effectué depuis le début du projet jusqu’à la fin de la période considérée dans le rapport et principaux résultats atteints jusqu’à présent

The SPATIO solutions are progressing as planned, with operational and technical requirements being developed. This has enabled preliminary testing of the overall architecture and communication exchange mechanisms among key services, including the UAS flight authorization service, Dynamic Capacity Management service, Strategic Conflict Detection and Resolution service, and the Tactical Conflict Prediction and Resolution service during flight execution.
As a foundation for consolidating an integrated operational concept for U-space services, SPATIO conducted an extensive literature review, incorporating research from previous SESAR projects such as DACUS, BUBBLES, and TindAIR. Additionally, a glossary of terms has been developed to promote integration with other UAS-related initiatives.
To support solution validation, SPATIO is utilizing the Agile methodology, which has helped establish key milestones to achieve high system maturity by the project's conclusion.
Finally, initial and intermediate standardization and regulatory documents have been delivered and are being escalated for potential reference by EASA.

Progrès au-delà de l’état des connaissances et impact potentiel prévu (y compris l’impact socio-économique et les conséquences sociétales plus larges du projet jusqu’à présent)

At this stage of the project, the consortium has identified potential impacts, but no results can be provided.
The potential impacts include:
1. Integration of Fairness rules as part of the UAS Flight Plan authorisation processes.
2. Evaluation of the Demand and Capacity Balancing (DCB) measures to be implemented in the event of imbalances being detected is required.
3. UAS Separation minima standards to be used by the tactical conflict prediction services as well as methodology to calculate them.
4. Common UAS resolution rules to be implemented by the U-space service providers in their tactical conflict resolution services.
5. Standardisation and regulation implications, including proposals for the determination of the U-space deviation thresholds in U-space airspaces as requested by the regulation 2021/664.
6. U-space airspace classification according to the U-space separation management services that will be provided.
7. Feasibility of providing separation and capacity management services in environments with multi-USSPs operating in the same U-space airspace.