In the future, there will be more drones in the skies. In order to integrate a large number of them safely and efficiently into the existing air traffic management (ATM) system, research and industry in Europe are working on a uniform EU concept for a drone airspace: the so-called U-space. Developing this will enable forward-looking technologies and services for drones and air taxis, as well as provide geographical areas in which uniform rules and procedures coordinate drone traffic through special services.
From January 2023, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has started setting up a U-space airspace for drones in the form of a real-life laboratory at the National Experimental Test Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Cochstedt at the Magdeburg-Cochstedt commercial airport. (Picture: Gorodenkoff – stock.adobe.com)
