Piecing together the U-space puzzle

Aviation has always been a puzzle, one that requires air traffic controllers to safely manage the movement of thousands of aircraft in the sky. But with the addition of drones and other unmanned and autonomous aircraft, this puzzle is becoming significantly more challenging.

“The rapid growth in drone operations continues to test air traffic management’s ability to safely integrate unmanned aircraft into regulated airspace,” explains Fiammetta Diani, Head of Market, Downstream and Innovation Department at the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA),

But this is just the start. “With drones performing increasingly complex and largely autonomous operations, such as flying Beyond Visual Line-Of-Sight (BVLOS) or over urban areas, we keep adding new pieces to the puzzle,” adds Diani.

Helping to solve this puzzle is Skypuzzler.

A winning idea from a CASSINI Challenges winner

Winner of the 2024 CASSINI Challenges Product Track, the Danish company has created an integrated Digital Air Traffic Control (iDATC) solution that uses Galileo’s accurate geo-positioning and High Accuracy Service to let drone operators handle unknown events in real-time.

Part of the European Commission’s CASSINI Space Entrepreneurship Initiative, the annual competition aims to promote the use of EU Space technologies to address pressing commercial, social and environmental challenges.

The iDATC solution is an add-on module to Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems like U-space. Similar to Air Traffic Control (ATC), U-space is a drone ecosystem designed to control, manage and integrate all unmanned aircraft flying within the Very Low Level (VLL) airspace. Complementing ATC, it will ensure the safety, security and efficiency of drone operations.

By leveraging Galileo’s accurate and secure positioning, iDATC provides deconfliction in real-time and with a holistic traffic view to foresee and mitigate potential conflicts from a tactical perspective, enabling drones to fly BVLOS safely and autonomously from point to point.

A launching pad for innovative start-ups

The company wasted no time cashing in on its EUR 100,000.00 prize. Having further developed its solution, it was soon named one of just 68 companies selected by the EIC Accelerator. The European Innovation Council funding programme combines both grants and equity. It also provides companies with access to leading experts, investors, corporates and decision makers.

“The prestige of the CASSINI brand makes it an excellent launching pad for innovative start-ups looking to turn EU Space technology into game-changing solutions, and I look forward to seeing how the Skypuzzler team uses this new opportunity to position Galileo as a key piece to the U-space puzzle,” concludes Diani.

If you think you have what it takes to be the next Skypuzzler, then here’s some news for you: the 2025 CASSINI Challenges is now open for applications! Learn more here.

Story Source: European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA),