Sitemap \| Search \| Home

About Us
	Project Description
	Objectives
	Background
	Staff Bios
	Awards

Project Description

Introduction

The Virtual Airspace Modeling and Simulation (VAMS) Project is an element of the Airspace Systems (AS) Program. The Airspace Systems Program is part of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate efforts to "Enable a safer, more secure, efficient, and environmentally friendly air transportation system." The VAMS Project is a multi-year, research and development effort, initiated in fiscal year 2002 and ending in fiscal year 2007, and is focused on building the foundations required to define and assess the next-generation air transportation system. The VAMS Project will identify and assess the performance of new operational concepts that, when incorporated into a future Air Traffic Management (ATM) system, will result in a revolutionary improvement in system capacity, while maintaining affordability and safety. These efforts will support:

Improvements in the service provided by the nation's air transportation infrastructure
Continued growth in the air transportation system
Growth in the national economy and aerospace industry

Scope

The VAMS Project will consider the operating domain of the air transportation system to be the US domestic system. However, some VAMS activities, primarily in system-level modeling and demand forecasting, will consider the global impacts. While the Airspace Systems Program includes activities that extend to door-to-door concepts, VAMS activities will concentrate on gate-to-gate concepts.

Benefactors of VAMS products include a wide range of aviation community members, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aviation industry, and the general public that uses aviation services. In 2004, NASA joined with the FAA, Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense in a congressionally established Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) whose goal is to develop a national plan for the next generation Air Transportation System. The JPDO has been provided support via direction by the Airspace Systems Program on the use of VAMS products to support analysis for the JPDO Evaluation Working Groups. NASA also gains benefits from the project activities that increase the agency's capabilities to conduct modeling and simulation research and related development activities to assess the potential of new technologies, procedures, systems, and NAS-wide operational concepts.

Sitemap | Search | Home