Edward Sayadian: Exelis, NASA Working on System That Tracks Drones Beyond Line of Sight

Exelis will soon release a surveillance system that works to track drones flying at low altitudes beyond the line of sight to perform tasks such as land surveys and delivery of packages, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Alwyn Scott writes that Exelis is working with NASA and other partners to develop the system, which could work around current Federal Aviation Administration regulations on drone flights.

“For any drone that needs to go beyond line of sight, this is a potential solution,” Edward Sayadian, Exelis vice president of civil aerospace systems, told Reuters.

The report said Exelis’ Symphony UAS-Vue and RangeVue will use the aircraft-tracking data feed the company provides for FAA and integrate low-altitude data on drones.

Scott reports that Exelis will launch the products within the month, while RangeVue will be available to commercial U.S. drone operators in the summer.

NASA has also been working on a prototype unmanned aircraft traffic management system, which could be available within five years, to provide airspace configuration, aircraft separation management, geofencing and other functions, Reuters said.

Scott writes that the Exelis and NASA efforts seek to address mounting concerns about air traffic management and safety of both people and aircraft with the increase of drone flight activities.