A NASA flight campaign aims to enable drones to land safely on rooftop hubs called vertiports for future delivery of people and goods. The campaign may also lead to improvements in weather prediction.

NASA’s AEROcAST (Advanced Exploration of Reliable Operation at Low Altitudes: Meteorology, Simulation and Technology) campaign is based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. During the study drones, sensors, weather balloons, and other technology measure wind at altitudes below 2,000 feet – called the atmospheric boundary layer.

NASA Armstrong, and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, are partners in collecting data to resolve unknowns that could hinder AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) flights. The campaign began on July 20, 2023, and continues through August 2023.