However, Google seems to have also tested its drones on US soil, using a partnership with NASA to obtain certificates of authorization (COA) to skirt restrictions imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), according to the Guardian’s Mark Harris. The documents also reportedly contain details about safety mechanisms and operating procedures for the drones.
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Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has been secretly testing its drones in US airspace and is planning to test them in other areas around California soon.
But that hasn’t stopped Google and its drones, the company is now ignoring the rules by flying its unmanned aircrafts in private land with the help of NASA. This is how Amazon is now testing its own delivery drones.
According to The Guardian, Google (via the Google X research lab) has been testing out its fleet of delivery UAS on privatized land owned by NASA, and has been given a special waiver to do it: more specifically, a Certificate of Authorization (COA) – which can be issued by the FAA or, in the case of Google X’s program, NASA.
The latest trials will be used to see whether cellphone signals can be used by low-flying drones for automatic air traffic control.
Furthermore, the Guardian in its report says, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing suggests that Google has a direct commercial interest in the upcoming tests.
The US now has a blanket ban on the commercial operation of unmanned aircraft.
NASA hopes to do for unmanned aerial vehicles what road regulations and air traffic control have done for highways and commercial aviation. “Join us – you can make a ton of money and so can we, and we can have fun doing it”.
Google is requesting that some of the details of the proposed operations be kept from the public, citing the “significant commercial value” of the proprietary equipment, wireless applications and frequencies.
The company goes on to say: “The technology under development is highly sensitive and confidential in nature”. The company plans to use the drones to deliver items to shoppers as well ferrying vital supplies to locations cut off by natural disasters. “The release of such information would provide valuable insight into Google’s technology innovations and potential business plans and strategies”.
So far, both Google and NASA have declined to comment on this deal.
According to the report, official documents confirm that Google’s drones can travel at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour and have the ability to fly as high as 120 meters while carrying less than 25 kilograms of shipments.
The Guardian has obtained now a document that Google found a way around this via a cooperation with NASA.
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Applying for a 333 exemption now makes sense, said Greg McNeal, drone expert and associate professor of law and public policy at Pepperdine University.
