. This is one of two lidar units positioned on either end of Building 4833 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, that formed the cutting-edge ‘virtual tower concept.’ The units use lasers to measure airflow from the ground level to 2,000 feet to provide data to assist future drones to safely land on rooftop hubs called vertiports, and to potentially improve weather prediction. It was part of the multi-faceted Advanced Exploration of Reliable Operation at Low Altitudes: Meteorology, Simulation and Technology campaign.

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