Wisk and NASA Complete Simulation Validating Single Ground Supervisor Managing Three Autonomous Aircraft Simultaneously

Wisk and NASA Simulate Multi-Aircraft Operations in Traditional ATC Environment

Wisk Aero has announced the successful completion of a major simulation with NASA, designed to assess whether a single ground supervisor — operating through Wisk's Multi-Vehicle Supervisor (MVS) system — can simultaneously manage three autonomous aircraft while operating alongside conventional air traffic under existing ATC tools and procedures.

In a press release, the company described the exercise as "a critical milestone for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), demonstrating how Wisk is actively building the foundational ecosystem needed to enable safe, scalable autonomous flight."

A Key Milestone Under a Five-Year Agreement

The simulation is the latest significant outcome under the five-year Non-Reimbursable Space Act Agreement (NRSAA) between Wisk and NASA, which focuses on advancing autonomous aircraft operations under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) within the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS).

The test was conducted by linking Wisk's Autonomy Lab in Mountain View, California, with NASA Ames Research Center's air traffic control simulation facility, Future Flight Central — a two-story building offering a 360-degree, full-scale airport simulation environment. The test routes were set in the San Francisco Bay Area, specifically along planned IFR corridors between Moffett Federal Airfield (KNUQ) and San Martin Airport (E16).

Simulation Design and Key Testing Areas

Wisk described the simulation as employing a "human-in/over-the-loop" approach, in which air traffic controllers interacted with Wisk supervisors to evaluate a range of complex routine and emergency scenarios jointly designed by Wisk and NASA.

"This activity not only exercised standardized procedures under normal conditions, but also tested Wisk's response methodology across multiple contingency situations," the company stated. "By evaluating performance under worst-case scenarios, Wisk validated whether its methodology can support scalable flight operations while maintaining resilience."

Erick Corona, Wisk's Head of Systems and Operations Integration, commented: "This is an exciting milestone for Wisk — the first time we have tested a 1:3 supervisor-to-aircraft ratio with NASA in a high-fidelity, high-workload environment that fully replicates the complexity of the National Airspace System. Wisk is not just 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 supervisor can safely and efficiently manage multiple aircraft is critical to making commercial air taxi operations scalable and affordable. We are deeply grateful for the professionalism, expertise, and dedication of the NASA team on this project."

Technical Systems and Data Collection

The simulation utilized Wisk's Remote Supervision System and autonomous systems to seamlessly manage navigation and communications. Both teams collected key data — including communication response times, task delays, situational awareness, and cognitive workload — using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and the Bedford Workload Scale.

Looking Ahead: Building the Foundation for Policy Frameworks

The data and findings generated through these joint exercises are expected to help establish standardized communication procedures, reduce workload for both controllers and supervisors, lay the groundwork for future policy frameworks, streamline communication workflows, and ultimately enable digitization — such as automated flight rules.

Wisk and NASA will continue their joint research and collaboration on integrating autonomous aircraft into the NAS. By demonstrating that supervised autonomous flight can safely handle complex air traffic coordination scenarios, Wisk has taken a significant step toward making safe, autonomous air travel an everyday reality.

Source: Wisk Official Newsroom

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