NMSU UAS Flight Test Site

NMSU/PSL is home to the one of the seven FAA approved UAS Test Sites which supports the integration of unmanned systems into the National Airspace System and specializes in unmanned systems flight testing for all classes of UAS. 

PSL has a long history with UAS and superior performance for the FAA.  We are an industry leader, and have key unique skills to support this work.  NMSU is one of the core universities in the FAA UAS Center for Excellence and we are members of the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE Group).

As part of the FAA COE, PSL has supported work in the following areas:

• Detect and Avoid (DAA) and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS)
  • This research area focuses on issues related to the detection of potential threats to remain well clear and avoid collisions
  • System validation flights – Acoustic, Vision, Radar, and ADSB
• Human Factors focused on Visual Observers and ground station design
• Detection of UAS near airports – assessing current state of the art
• Cyber security with UAS
• Disaster Preparedness and Response
• Minority STEM Outreach with UAS as the central learning platform for K-12 with UAS Roadshows and summer camps (developed UAS curricula for the FAA)