In manned air traffic, aircraft are supported by the tower during take-off and landing, in addition to the technology on board and on the ground. It is an integral part of a clear organizational structure and an indispensable part of everyday processes in airspace. According to the Implementing Regulation and EASA, these elements should also be fulfilled for unmanned air traffic in the established U-Space, the airspace for drones, with the help of a USSP.

The USSP: Combination of ATM and UTM

The U-Space Service Provider, USSP for short, will take on key tasks in future. For example, the USSP will take care of registration and deregistration, approving the planning of flight routes and navigating the drones by exchanging information. The Bremen-based company b.r.m. IT & Aerospace is currently conducting a USSP feasibility study, which aims to make the establishment of a U-Space Service Provider more efficient. Furthermore, the company is to be known as b.r.m. UAS control center Bremen (USSP) and make the airspace clearer and safer. In order to fulfill these tasks of a USSP, it must use the ATM and UTM management systems.

Air Traffic Management, or ATM for short, is used in manned aviation. The essential prerequisites for this system are Air Space Management (ASM), Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) and Air Traffic Services (ATS). ASM sorts the airspace into the various airspace uses. These include, for example, civil aviation and military aviation. The ATFM is responsible for planning and controlling air traffic. The system is designed to ensure safety, order and efficiency. The ATS is responsible for air traffic control, for example air traffic control. In Germany, this task is carried out by German Air Traffic Control (DFS).

Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) is responsible for regulating unmanned air traffic. Unmanned air traffic includes unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), i.e. drones. UAS are subject to different conditions that make communication much more difficult. Furthermore, there are different operating modes for drones, such as Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS), which means that drones can also be controlled outside the pilot's field of vision. To ensure that drones can fly alongside manned aircraft despite these differences, flawless communication and coordination is required. This is made possible by the automated and digitalized exchange of information through the USSP, so that drone flights can also become routine. The UTM is therefore an extension of the ATM. U-Space is the European approach to building a UTM.

If you have any questions about U-Space, please contact Mr. Markus Rossol.