On Sept. 25, Joby announced the delivery of one of their air taxis – an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft – through a funded contract with their customer, the U.S. Air Force AFWERX Agility Prime program. NASA has an interagency agreement with AFWERX to use the aircraft for testing concentrated on how such vehicles could fit into the national airspace.
“NASA and AFWERX have an important, active collaboration on Advanced Air Mobility,” said Parimal Kopardekar, integration manager for NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility mission. “This collaboration puts the best talent with the latest resources in the same place to accelerate the future of this industry.”
Members from the Air Force, Joby Aviation, and NASA cut a ribbon on Sept. 25 at Edwards Air Force Base in Edwards, California after opening a maintenance shelter for Joby’s electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Under an interagency agreement with AFWERX, NASA pilots and researchers will test the Joby aircraft starting in 2024.
Air taxis and drones can be used for emergency response, fighting wildfires, and delivering medical supplies – and they will make our communities more connected and accessible than ever. NASA’s goal is to help mature technologies that will push the entire air taxi and drone industry forward, sharing its findings with the Federal Aviation Administration to inform new policies.