NASA tests portable airspace system to keep wildfire aircraft flying in smoke and darkness
NASA has completed field tests of a portable airspace management system designed to let wildfire aircraft operate safely in low visibility, including at night and in heavy smoke.
The testing ran from March 17 to March 26 in the foothills of the Sierra de Salinas mountains in Monterey County, California. Researchers from NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations project, known as ACERO, deployed at multiple sites to validate the Portable Airspace Management System, or PAMS. The suitcase-sized system is built for field use and gives pilots and ground operators a shared view of aircraft position, flight intent, and approved operating areas, even when smoke or darkness limits visibility. That addresses a major constraint in current aerial firefighting. Today, many wildfire air operations depend on clear conditions and on an airborne tactical supervisor, often called an air boss, to direct traffic. When visibility breaks down, collision risk rises and missions can stop.
In the California exercise, NASA used the PAMS prototype to support flights by a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft operated by Overwatch Aero and two small NASA drones. Researchers assessed core functions including strategic coordination and automatic alerts when an aircraft left its preapproved route or a simulated fire operations zone. The test also examined whether the system could work across rugged terrain with weak cellular coverage. NASA said two PAMS units placed in separate locations, divided by mountains and valleys, successfully exchanged and displayed a simulated fire zone, aircraft position, flight plans, and flight intent. That link was maintained through a radio communications relay set up by the Overwatch aircraft. Ground-based pilots also used PAMS to coordinate drone flights that simulated aerial ignition, a controlled burning technique used to manage vegetation and reduce wildfire risk.
NASA also brought in Joby Aviation, which flew a remotely piloted aircraft about the size of a Cessna Grand Caravan over the test site. According to NASA, PAMS successfully exchanged aircraft location and flight intent with Joby’s mission management system. The agency said that was the first successful interaction between PAMS and an optionally piloted aircraft. Fire chiefs from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL FIRE, attended the tests and gave feedback on system functions, air traffic coordination needs in wildfire operations, and how the technology might fit into real deployments. The latest campaign follows earlier PAMS testing in Watsonville, California, in November 2024. NASA said it will use the new flight data and agency feedback to refine the system and expand its information-sharing capability in the coming years.
If the technology moves into operational use, it could widen the window for aerial firefighting, monitoring, and logistics support beyond clear daytime conditions. That would give responders more flexibility, improve safety in crowded fire airspace, and strengthen efforts to protect lives and property as wildfire seasons grow more demanding.