Experts at NASA have developed a software complex called In-Time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS), which predicts safety threats before they occur, potentially making mass drone flights a reality by the end of the decade. Michael Vincent, deputy director of the System-Wide Safety project at NASA, noted: “IASMS works as an invisible shield. If the flight is going well, the operator might not even notice its presence.” On March 5th in California, there was a large-scale simulation where twelve operators controlled six drones, simulating the delivery of medications to an area outside visibility due to a hurricane. Other drones inspected dams and searched for victims.
The IASMS has already undergone its first 'field' tests in Ohio during the summer of 2024. A drone equipped with NASA software completed several flights, transmitting real-time data to servers at Langley Research Center (Virginia). Three university teams simultaneously tested the IASMS system: George Washington University on Fort Devens military base (Massachusetts), Notre Dame University (Indiana), and the University of Virginia in Richmond.