FAA puts $12 million behind 19 drone research projects

What happened

The agency has announced $12 million in awards for 19 companies and organizations working on drone research and testing projects. The FAA is putting more money into the technologies it believes could help drones safely become a bigger part of the US airspace. The funding comes through the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Program, which provides support for commercial entities working with FAA-designated UAS Test Sites.

Key facts

• The agency has — announced: $12 million in awards for 19 companies and organizations working on drone research and testing projects