The flight test, conducted by Predator manufacturer General Atomics (using a NASA-owned Predator B) consisted of "scripted encounters" with multiple aircraft at Edwards Air Force base. The idea was to test the drone's ability to detect other planes with air-to-air radar and see how it fares under civilian air traffic control (TCAS II) systems.
Congress wanted the FAA to get drones into civil airspace by this year for search-and-rescue, border patrol and other chores. But the necessary sense-and-avoid radar systems have proved more complex than thought, and many experts say that the agency will be lucky to achieve the goal by 2020. The Predator B passed all the tests by automatically avoiding the other aircraft in what General Atomics called a "milestone achievement." It'll continue to test the systems aboard NASA's drone throughout the year, but don't expect to see the infamous UAV hovering over your house anytime soon.
