Wisk Aero, a company developing autonomous aviation technology, has announced the completion of a simulation conducted in collaboration with NASA. The collaboration evaluated whether a single ground-based supervisor, such as Wisk’s Multi-Vehicle Supervisor (MVSor), can effectively manage three autonomous aircraft simultaneously, operating alongside traditional air traffic while Air Traffic Control (ATC) uses existing tools and procedures. This marks a development for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), demonstrating how Wisk is developing systems intended to support safe, scalable and autonomous flight.
The simulation is one of the latest activities under Wisk and NASA’s five-year Non-Reimbursable Space Act Agreement (NRSAA), focused on advancing autonomous aircraft under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) in the National Airspace System (NAS). The simulations were executed by connecting Wisk’s Autonomy Lab in Mountain View, CA, with NASA’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) simulation laboratories, Future Flight Central, at Ames Research Center. The two-story facility provides a 360-degree, full-scale airport simulation environment. Testing took place along flight paths in California's San Francisco Bay Area, specifically following predetermined IFR routes between Moffett Federal Airfield (KNUQ) and San Martin Airport (E16).
The human-in/over-the-loop simulation, which featured air traffic controllers communicating with Wisk’s supervisors, evaluated a series of complex nominal and contingency scenarios developed jointly by Wisk and NASA. This activity is designed not only to practice standardized procedures under normal conditions but also to test Wisk’s methodology against multiple contingencies. By evaluating performance during worst-case scenarios, Wisk assessed how the methodology remains capable of supporting operations.
"This is an incredible milestone for Wisk as it’s the first time we’ve tested our 1:3 supervisor-to-aircraft ratio with NASA in a high-fidelity, high-workload environment that mirrors the complexity of the National Airspace System," said Erick Corona, Head of System and Operations Integration. "Wisk is doing more than building an autonomous aircraft. We are working closely with organizations like NASA to mature and modernize the broader aviation ecosystem. Proving that a single ground-based supervisor can manage multiple flights safely and efficiently is paramount to making commercial air taxi operations scalable and affordable. We are deeply grateful to the NASA team for their professionalism, expertise and commitment to this project."
The campaign utilized Wisk’s Remote Supervision System and autonomous systems to manage navigation and communication during the simulation. The teams captured precise data on communication response time, task latency, situation awareness and cognitive workload using NASA’s Task Load Index and the Bedford Workload Scale.
Data and findings generated from these joint exercises will help inform standardized communication and procedures to reduce both ATC and pilot workloads, laying the foundation for policy frameworks on how communication can be streamlined and eventually digitized (e.g., Automated Flight Rules). Wisk and NASA will continue to collaborate on joint studies and campaigns around autonomous integration in the NAS. By demonstrating that autonomous flight with human oversight can safely handle complex air traffic coordination scenarios, Wisk has taken a step toward broader autonomous air travel operations.
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