HAMPTON, VA -- NASA X, a video program based at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, has won an Emmy award from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
NASA X producers Michael Bibbo and Kevin Krigsvold won the award for "Unmanned Aircraft Systems - Transforming the Horizon" in the category of Informational/Instructional/Program or Special. In the winning entry, NASA X, a television program and vodcast that highlights new and emerging technologies, featured research being done at NASA's four aeronautics research centers – Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California; Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California; Glenn Research Center in Cleveland; and NASA Langley.
According to a synopsis of the program unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have operated on a limited basis in the National Airspace System (NAS) since the 1990s. Until recently, UAS mainly supported public operations, such as military and border security operations, but are rapidly expanding to encompass a broad range of other activities, including aerial photography, land and crop surveying, communications, forest fire and environmental monitoring. Integrating UAS into the NAS is challenging, and to do so safely and effectively requires help from NASA. The agency is providing research to reduce technical barriers associated with integrating these vehicles into the national airspace system.
The NASA X program, which showcased the work of the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's UAS Integration in the NAS Project, included video and a number of interviews done at NASA Headquarters, Armstrong, Ames and Glenn.
The Emmy award honors excellence in television production in various sectors of the television industry, including entertainment programming, news and documentary shows and sports programming. The awards are presented in various area-specific ceremonies held annually throughout the year.
To view the award-winning NASA X "Unmanned Aircraft Systems - Transforming the Horizon" program, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/nasax/nasa-x-UAS