CORUS five - U-space Concept of Operations

The U-space ConOps

U-space is Europe’s Traffic Management for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Small UAS, sometimes called drones, are becoming a more common sight, used by police and for first-response but also for many commercial applications, such as delivery, as well as leisure. UAS flight implies some risks – in safety, security and social acceptance. U-space can bring the risks associated with UAS flight down to an acceptable level.

The U-space Concept of Operations aims to provide U-space stakeholders with a common understanding of how U-space works, and by doing so provide a basis for discussion and improvement. The ConOps is produced by building a consensus among the users and providers of U-space.

As implementations and research projects refine the ideas of how U-space works, the current ConOps becomes out of date. The CORUS five project aims to bring the ConOps into line with the latest developments, developing the fifth edition of the ConOps which should be published in 2026.

U-space and UAM will see a rapid increase in research, innovation and implementation

New type of aircraft (eVTOL)

The innovations in batteries, motors and electronics that led to small UAS becoming common are equally applicable to larger aircraft. A number of companies are developing electrically powered aircraft capable of vertical take-off or landing, referred to as eVTOL. Some of them are designed for passenger operations, other for cargo, and many plan to fly in and around cities. Although the passenger carrying aircraft are expected to fly in Europe initially with a pilot on board and operate similarly to current helicopters, the cargo aircraft and perhaps in future the passenger carrying will be remotely piloted and may fly as users of U-space

Airspace Management Systems

Small UAS are difficult to safely mix with manned aircraft. Work is going on to solve this, including in CORUS five, but today the simplest way to have safe operation is to keep small UAS apart from manned aircraft in separate airspaces. Prior to U-space the approach has been to publish a “danger area” to exclude manned aircraft. The process was slow and imprecise; a danger area might be created for many hours to allow a UAS flight lasting minutes. Efficient, equitable use of airspace requires careful management so that airspace is allocated as and when needed. U-space provides tools to dynamically manage airspace.

Sustainable and Interoperable Operations

U-space is an enabler for sustainable operations. Many UAS are powered by electricity, leading to a lower carbon footprint as electricity generation becomes less reliant on fossil fuels. Studies have shown that delivering small, urgent items by UAS rather than by a car or van can reduce the carbon emissions by a factor of twenty-five or more, as well as saving valuable time. UAS delivery services are becoming increasingly common between hospitals, clinics and laboratories.

New Regulatory Framework

The U-space Regulatory Framework, published in 2021, establishes initial U-space. The CORUS five project will look forward to the next round of regulation which will aim to increase the capacity of U-space while maintaining the same level of safety, security and social acceptance.