May 11, 2015
Even if you haven’t had a packaged dropped off via Amazon Prime Air or watched some amazing aerial video footage from a drone-cam, chances are you’ve seen one of those zippy, remote-controlled fliers categorized as “unmanned aircraft systems.” Their growing prevalence in the skies, along with an industry push to fly them higher and farther, is forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to expand its regulatory purview. As a way of addressing technical issues critical to safe and successful integration of unmanned aircrafts into the nation’s airspace, the FAA announced the establishment of a National Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Drexel University is one of several core research institutions that will be part of the Center, led by Mississippi State University, alongside dozens of associate research, commercial and government partners.
