MUREP Partnership Learning Annual Notification 2025

Differences in the response to radiation is observed between sexes across a variety of biological outcomes associated with carcinogenesis, cardiovascular disease, and changes to the central nervous system (CNS) that may impact astronaut health and performance. To better characterize the health risks associated with space radiation exposure, it is necessary to explore and define the mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism following exposure to space radiation. Of particular interest are translational biomarkers or bioindicators relevant to changes in cognitive and/or behavioral performance, cardiovascular function, and the development of carcinogenesis in non-sex-specific organs.

Respondents can propose the following types of activities: 

1. Conduct a technique or technology demonstration that demonstrates utility for space radiation research applications either in ground-based experiments or for spaceflight and can be used as justification for future studies and/or HRP OMNIBUS or FLAGSHIP grant applications.
2. Obtain relevant preliminary data that can be used in a future HRP OMNIBUS or FLAGSHIP grant application which can include tissue and/or data sharing opportunities with research collaborators.
   1. Samples available from NASA flight and ground studies can be identified here (approval for tissue release following prize selection is required): https://nlsp.nasa.gov/search/?q=all&pagesize=20&group=Biospecimen-P 
   2. Tissue samples can include, but are not limited to, samples that have already been, or are in the process of, being collected and stored as well as tissues from other external archived banks (e.g., http://janus.northwestern.edu/janus2/index.php). 
   3. Relevant tissue samples and data from other externally funded (e.g., non-NASA) programs and tissue repositories/archives for comparison with high linear energy transfer (LET), medical proton, neutron and other exposures can be proposed.
3. Conduct a literature review of the topic to familiarize the investigator team with the state of the relevant research, NASA’s perspective, current research gaps, and opportunities to further the state of the science. This work will be helpful to identify how the team’s current research could apply to relevant SRE research gaps and be used to inform a future grant application. It is encouraged that this effort culminates in a publication in a peer-reviewed journal as an open access publication. It is recommended that funds are protected for this purpose.

It is expected that the applicant budget for and plan to attend two (2) workshops or scientific conferences to showcase their work and network with thought leaders within the relevant scientific fields. Specifically, it is expected that the applicant will submit an abstract to the 2026 NASA HRP Investigators’ Workshop which will be held in January or February 2026, in Galveston, TX (required), and at least one additional scientific conference relevant to the selected topic.

Strategies to develop countermeasures against terrestrial radiation exposure typically revolve around agents either that 1) alter the physical interactions of normal tissues to direct exposure (i.e., scavenging the reactive oxygen species generated by the radiolysis of water) or 2) mitigate the downstream biological processes following exposure (i.e., reducing the radiation-induced inflammatory response). Clinical radioprotectors are administered before a planned therapeutic exposure(s) to reduce the likelihood and severity of undesirable side effects. To date, Amifostine is the only FDA-approved radioprotector, but the potential side effects, including severe anaphylactic reactions, reduce the operational utility for spaceflight.  Radiomitigators are given following and unexpected exposure such as a terrorist attack or an accidental occupational exposure. Space radiation exposures differ from terrestrial exposures both in the type of radiation experienced and the rates at which those exposures occur. The quality and dose rate of radiation experienced in the deep space environment present unique challenges in terms of replicating them on the ground, estimating health risks from such exposures and developing strategies to counteract those risks. Traditional in vivo strategies to assess interventional countermeasure efficacy require long-term follow up and large animal cohorts, which limit feasible throughput. Time and resource constraints limit the number of compounds that can be tested using these strategies prior to a Mars mission where the exposure to space radiation exceeds NASA’s permissible exposure limits (PELs). Therefore, strategies that accelerate countermeasure identification, prioritization, and validation need to be developed to improve likelihood of success. New high-throughput screening and informatics technologies to pursue large-scale agnostic countermeasure identification in combination with more targeted, informational approaches represent an attractive comprehensive strategy. These approaches would require the identification of relevant surrogate biomarkers for initiation of long-term health outcomes that could confidently predict disease in models appropriate for this “big science” approach. Proposals are sought to identify and/or develop screening techniques to assess compound-based countermeasure efficacy in modulating biological responses to radiation exposure relevant to the high priority health risks of cancer, CVD, and/or CNS. Techniques that can be translated into high-throughput screening protocols are highly desired, however high-content protocols will also be considered responsive. Countermeasures and screening techniques focused on acute radiation effects rather than the priority long-term health impacts listed above will not be considered responsive. 

Respondents can propose the following types of activities: 

1. Conduct a technique or technology demonstration that demonstrates utility for space radiation research applications either in ground-based experiments or for spaceflight and can be used as justification for future studies and/or HRP OMNIBUS or FLAGSHIP grant applications.
2. Obtain relevant preliminary data that can be used in a future HRP OMNIBUS or FLAGSHIP grant application which can include tissue and/or data sharing opportunities with research collaborators.
   1. Samples available from NASA flight and ground studies can be identified here (approval for tissue release following prize selection is required): https://nlsp.nasa.gov/search/?q=all&pagesize=20&group=Biospecimen-P 
   2. Tissue samples can include, but are not limited to, samples that have already been, or are in the process of, being collected and stored as well as tissues from other external archived banks (e.g., http://janus.northwestern.edu/janus2/index.php). 
   3. Relevant tissue samples and data from other externally funded (e.g., non-NASA) programs and tissue repositories/archives for comparison with high linear energy transfer (LET), medical proton, neutron and other exposures can be proposed.
3. Conduct a literature review of the topic to familiarize the investigator team with the state of the relevant research, NASA’s perspective, current research gaps, and opportunities to further the state of the science. This work will be helpful to identify how the team’s current research could apply to relevant SRE research gaps and be used to inform a future grant application. It is encouraged that this effort culminates in a publication in a peer-reviewed journal as an open access publication. It is recommended that funds are protected for this purpose.

It is expected that the applicant budget for and plan to attend two (2) workshops or scientific conferences to showcase their work and network with thought leaders within the relevant scientific fields. Specifically, it is expected that the applicant will submit an abstract to the 2026 NASA HRP Investigators’ Workshop which will be held in January or February 2026, in Galveston, TX (required), and at least one additional scientific conference relevant to the selected topic.

Although innate inflammatory immune responses are necessary for survival from infections and injury, dysregulated and persistent inflammation is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of various acute and chronic conditions in humans, including CVD. A main contributor to the development of inflammatory diseases involves activation of inflammasomes. Recently, inflammasome activation has been increasingly linked to an increased risk and greater severity of CVD. Characterization of the role of inflammasome-mediated pathogenesis of disease after space-like chronic radiation exposure can provide evidence to better quantify space radiation risks as well as identify high value for countermeasure development. Proposals are sought to explore and evaluate the role of the inflammasome in the pathogenesis of radiation-associated cardiovascular disease (CVD), carcinogenesis, and/or central nervous system (CNS) changes that impact behavioral and cognitive function.

Respondents can propose the following types of activities: 

• Conduct a technique or technology demonstration that demonstrates utility for space radiation research applications either in ground-based experiments or for spaceflight and can be used as justification for future studies and/or HRP OMNIBUS or FLAGSHIP grant applications.
• Obtain relevant preliminary data that can be used in a future HRP OMNIBUS or FLAGSHIP grant application which can include tissue and/or data sharing opportunities with research collaborators.
  1. Samples available from NASA flight and ground studies can be identified here (approval for tissue release following prize selection is required): https://nlsp.nasa.gov/search/?q=all&pagesize=20&group=Biospecimen-P 
  2. Tissue samples can include, but are not limited to, samples that have already been, or are in the process of, being collected and stored as well as tissues from other external archived banks (e.g., http://janus.northwestern.edu/janus2/index.php). 
  3. Relevant tissue samples and data from other externally funded (e.g., non-NASA) programs and tissue repositories/archives for comparison with high linear energy transfer (LET), medical proton, neutron and other exposures can be proposed.
• Conduct a literature review of the topic to familiarize the investigator team with the state of the relevant research, NASA’s perspective, current research gaps, and opportunities to further the state of the science. This work will be helpful to identify how the team’s current research could apply to relevant SRE research gaps and be used to inform a future grant application. It is encouraged that this effort culminates in a publication in a peer-reviewed journal as an open access publication. It is recommended that funds are protected for this purpose.

It is expected that the applicant budget for and plan to attend two (2) workshops or scientific conferences to showcase their work and network with thought leaders within the relevant scientific fields. Specifically, it is expected that the applicant will submit an abstract to the 2026 NASA HRP Investigators’ Workshop which will be held in January or February 2026, in Galveston, TX (required), and at least one additional scientific conference relevant to the selected topic.

One of the threats to astronaut health associated with Mars missions is the distance from Earth. Unlike ISS or Lunar missions, the ability to return crew for robust medical treatment is impossible. The capability to assess an astronaut’s individual susceptibility prior to flight, monitor astronaut health in-mission, predict, and monitor astronaut health post-flight, and provide an avenue for early detection of high-risk cancers and other degenerative effects like cardiovascular disease or neurodegeneration across astronaut lifespan is important to minimize the long-term health consequences of space radiation exposure and inform standard of care. Therefore, identification and validation of new and emerging biomedical approaches for early detection and treatment of pre-malignant tissues is necessary for the surveillance of astronaut health over their lifetimes (including pre-flight, in-mission, and post-flight) and assessment of risks to long term health pre-flight, in-mission, and post-flight remains a paramount endeavor.  

Respondents can propose the following types of activities: 

1. Conduct a technique or technology demonstration that demonstrates utility for space radiation research applications either in ground-based experiments or for spaceflight and can be used as justification for future studies and/or HRP OMNIBUS or FLAGSHIP grant applications.
2. Obtain relevant preliminary data that can be used in a future HRP OMNIBUS or FLAGSHIP grant application which can include tissue and/or data sharing opportunities with research collaborators.
   1. Samples available from NASA flight and ground studies can be identified here (approval for tissue release following prize selection is required): https://nlsp.nasa.gov/search/?q=all&pagesize=20&group=Biospecimen-P 
   2. Tissue samples can include, but are not limited to, samples that have already been, or are in the process of, being collected and stored as well as tissues from other external archived banks (e.g., http://janus.northwestern.edu/janus2/index.php). 
   3. Relevant tissue samples and data from other externally funded (e.g., non-NASA) programs and tissue repositories/archives for comparison with high linear energy transfer (LET), medical proton, neutron and other exposures can be proposed.
3. Conduct a literature review of the topic to familiarize the investigator team with the state of the relevant research, NASA’s perspective, current research gaps, and opportunities to further the state of the science. This work will be helpful to identify how the team’s current research could apply to relevant SRE research gaps and be used to inform a future grant application. It is encouraged that this effort culminates in a publication in a peer-reviewed journal as an open access publication. It is recommended that funds are protected for this purpose.

It is expected that the applicant budget for and plan to attend two (2) workshops or scientific conferences to showcase their work and network with thought leaders within the relevant scientific fields. Specifically, it is expected that the applicant will submit an abstract to the 2026 NASA HRP Investigators’ Workshop which will be held in January or February 2026, in Galveston, TX (required), and at least one additional scientific conference relevant to the selected topic.

The uncertainties in how low-dose-rate exposures to particle radiation affect the risk of radiation-associated adverse health outcomes are a major contributor to overall uncertainty in risk estimates. Current risk estimates are primarily based on human epidemiological evidence from the Life Span Study (LSS) of atomic bomb survivors who experienced a single, acute dose of radiation composed primarily of γ-rays with a contribution from neutrons. However, astronauts are exposed to a chronic low-dose-rate space radiation environment. Therefore, risk estimates from acute exposures are scaled using a dose and dose-rate effectiveness factor (DDREF) to reflect the chronic nature of space radiation. The current NASA model applies a central estimate for the DDREF of 1.5 to solid cancer risk estimates that was selected based on the BEIR VII report, which assessed terrestrial human epidemiological and animal data. The uncertainty distribution around the central estimate (95% CI: 0.83 to 2.67) is based on terrestrial human epidemiological data, animal data, and cellular data. Both relative increases and decreases in carcinogenesis-related outcomes have been correlated with changes in dose-rate, dependent on examined endpoints, radiation type, and total dose. Additionally, the interaction between radiation quality, total dose and dose-rate has not been fully established. Limited human epidemiological data is available that may provide a more relevant description of the effects of the chronic or protracted low dose-rate exposures in the context of astronaut risk. It is important to note that particle radiation does not deliver dose at a low dose-rate in a conventional (averaged over a volume) context because particles deposit energy as discrete, clustered ionization events, highlighting the importance of micro-dosimetry. Technological limitations in ground-based accelerator design and capability have largely limited the generation of large experimental data sets that address dose-rate effects for particle exposures. Additionally, no data currently exists to provide understanding for the role of dose-rate in a mixed particle radiation field approximating space. Therefore, more data is necessary to characterize the role of dose-rate in radiation carcinogenesis for chronic space radiation exposures. Research proposals are sought to identify and/or develop novel in vitro human research models specifically to assess the role of low-dose rate space radiation-like exposure on human cancer risk. 

Respondents can propose the following types of activities: 

• Conduct a technique or technology demonstration that demonstrates utility for space radiation research applications either in ground-based experiments or for spaceflight and can be used as justification for future studies and/or HRP OMNIBUS or FLAGSHIP grant applications.
• Obtain relevant preliminary data that can be used in a future HRP OMNIBUS or FLAGSHIP grant application which can include tissue and/or data sharing opportunities with research collaborators.
  1. Samples available from NASA flight and ground studies can be identified here (approval for tissue release following prize selection is required): https://nlsp.nasa.gov/search/?q=all&pagesize=20&group=Biospecimen-P 
  2. Tissue samples can include, but are not limited to, samples that have already been, or are in the process of, being collected and stored as well as tissues from other external archived banks (e.g., http://janus.northwestern.edu/janus2/index.php). 
  3. Relevant tissue samples and data from other externally funded (e.g., non-NASA) programs and tissue repositories/archives for comparison with high linear energy transfer (LET), medical proton, neutron and other exposures can be proposed.
• Conduct a literature review of the topic to familiarize the investigator team with the state of the relevant research, NASA’s perspective, current research gaps, and opportunities to further the state of the science. This work will be helpful to identify how the team’s current research could apply to relevant SRE research gaps and be used to inform a future grant application. It is encouraged that this effort culminates in a publication in a peer-reviewed journal as an open access publication. It is recommended that funds are protected for this purpose.

It is expected that the applicant budget for and plan to attend two (2) workshops or scientific conferences to showcase their work and network with thought leaders within the relevant scientific fields. Specifically, it is expected that the applicant will submit an abstract to the 2026 NASA HRP Investigators’ Workshop which will be held in January or February 2026, in Galveston, TX (required), and at least one additional scientific conference relevant to the selected topic.

Moving away from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) requires a paradigm shift in how medical care is delivered in space. In the current system, there is a heavy reliance on communication with the ground which will be a significant challenge for missions to Mars. New tools will be needed to empower astronauts to make health care and performance decisions without relying on contact with mission control. Advancements are required to enable remote healthcare delivery and enable astronauts to stay healthy while further from Earth for longer than ever before. 

Biomedical monitoring tools will be needed to enable advanced healthcare away from Earth that are smaller or more unobtrusive and can replace currently used monitoring methods. These tools can also take the form of capabilities like artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to interpret health status based on personalized health data collection. Additionally, it is expected that astronauts will not be able to train in all medical care techniques that might be needed on a mission or may need refreshers, so remote just-in-time training tools are also a current need. Finally, as we move further away from Earth and there is no capability to resupply, improvements are needed in capabilities that support overall human health and performance, such as extending the shelf life of pre-packaged or freshly grown foods as well as repackaging medications into smaller packages that have long shelf lives.   

This topic is aligned with TRISH’s Human and Environmental Research Matrix for Exploration of Space (HERMES) initiative; proposers should consider how the data obtained, knowledge generated, and tools developed in response to this topic ultimately relate to the ability to provide adequate health care to the future and expanding spacefaring population. 

To support effective remote healthcare in future spaceflight as we move away from LEO, we will need to personalize better the way that care is delivered. More personalized healthcare will enable more effective use of a future spacecraft's limited mass, power, and volume resources. Projects can include but are not limited to validating new biomarkers, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics investigations, and using advanced biological systems (i.e. tissue chips, organoids, microphysiological systems, etc.) to define individual susceptibility, as well as advancing precision health.  

This topic is aligned with TRISH’s HERMES and Science ENterprise to INform Exploration Limits (SENTINEL) initiatives; proposers should consider how the data obtained in this section ultimately relates to the ability to provide adequate and personalized health care to the future and expanding spacefaring population.

As we move away from LEO, research in space will need to change. The current system heavily relies on communication with the ground and sample return, which will be a significant challenge for missions to Mars. Advancements are needed to improve remote research capabilities to enable effective science in new environments. Projects can include but are not limited to enabling unobtrusive data collection and using advanced biological systems (i.e. tissue chips, organoids, microphysiological systems, etc.) to identify new countermeasures to HRP relevant risks. 

This topic is aligned with TRISH’s SENTINEL initiative; proposers should consider how the data obtained in this section ultimately relates to the ability to conduct adequate research in remote environments.

Problem Statement:

• Simulating microgravity on earth is a complicated process. We are looking for proposals to improve how this is accomplished.

Methodology: Perform an extensive analysis, utilizing multiphysics simulation software packages (such as Ansys), to determine:

• Are the devices currently utilized accurately simulating microgravity? Are there others that are better? The selected software package can be utilized to simulate the devices and observe the effects upon various test subjects
• Is the software package accurately simulating the microgravity devices? Should a different software package even be utilized for this task?
• Compare and contrast the results between the software package and the microgravity simulation devices. What adjustments/modifications (if any) should be implemented to ensure the reliability of the methodologies employed?
• List of Simulation Devices: Random Positioning Machines (RPMs); 2-D and 3-D Clinostats; Rotating Wall Vessel Bioreactors
• List of Test Subjects (to name a few): Plants; seeds; stem cells

Background:  NASA is currently investigating microgreens as a fresh food source to supplement key nutrients in the astronauts’ packaged food diet that have been shown to degrade over time. The current method for growing crops on the ISS utilizes plant pillows inside the Veggie plant growth chamber. To initiate growth, astronauts must manually inject water into the plant pillows using a syringe which requires a considerable amount of crew time. This approach inherently poses challenges to plant health and causes variable growth due to irregular fluid mechanics in microgravity that often result in over-watering or drought. Secondly, microgravity simulation studies for testing microgreen cultivation on Earth have proven to be challenging due to the use of nutrient solutions where leaks pose the risk of damaging hardware and introducing microbial contamination, raising food safety concerns.

Problem Statement:  We are interested in furthering growing microgreens in microgravity. We are looking for studies and/or proven concepts of hardware capable of cultivating microgreens throughout an entire microgravity simulation ground experiment or in spaceflight, without having to address hardware malfunctions due to leakages, or replenishing nutrient solution volume.  

Background:  Programs such as the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM-1), Gateway, and others within the DoD have found that the optimization of performing a liquid or gas vent into space lacks an available accurate, end-to-end analytical model.  Operational changes could be used for vent optimization such as starting pressure and temperature along with design techniques such as orifice sizing and vent nozzle design.  This sort of model would enable optimization to minimize mission risk as well as reduce required ground testing to develop the hardware.

Problem Statement: We are looking for studies or proven concepts of the development of a fluid dynamics model for ejecting a liquid or gas into the space environment (vacuum and microgravity).  

• For Example, a model could include the coupling of a typical Navier-Stokes continuum fluid dynamics model with a Monte-Carlo model for the rarefied region.   

Background: There’s a high barrier to entry into the small satellite market.  From having a general understanding of what it takes to produce an idea, design it, build it, test it, launch it and subsequently operating the small sat to obtaining university departments to help with the associated engineering and science disciplines and in the process with the small sat design/build. In addition, university departments tend to work within their disciplines, where a small sat is really a system engineering problem (e.g., engaging many engineering and science disciplines in its life cycle).  

Problem Statement:  We are looking for the following: 

• Development of a learning approach/methodology that can be used to help university researchers and students to quickly come up to speed in all aspects associated of designing/building a small sat (e.g., a comprehensive set of training modules, video lectures, PowerPoint presentations, etc.),  
• Development of a proposed architecture within a university engineering and science departments that would aid in leveraging all the expertise to help in the small sat development.
• Material developed will be expected to be published as to disseminate the material to others.

Within the United States, NextGen is the focus for a modernized air transportation system that will support anticipated growth in demand and is operationally efficient while maintaining or improving safety and other performance measures. ARMD will contribute specific research and technology to enable the realization of NextGen and continued development beyond for the Info-Centric National Airspace System (NAS) to achieve safe, scalable, routine, high-tempo airspace access for all users. Similar ongoing international developments, such as the European Union’s Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research effort, are being globally harmonized through the International Civil Aviation Organization. ARMD also will work with the emerging Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystem, developing concepts and technologies to enable a safe, scalable system for the growth of this new transportation sector. Projected growth in air travel of all types will require a sustained focus on reducing risks to maintain acceptable levels of safety; to that end, ARMD will work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Commercial Aviation Safety Team, and others to perform research and contribute technology that addresses current and future safety risks.

Development of efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally compatible commercial high-speed transports could be a game changer for transcontinental and intercontinental transportation, providing an opportunity to maintain U.S. leadership in aviation systems and generate economic and societal benefits in a globally linked world. To achieve practical and affordable commercial high-speed air travel, ARMD will focus on advancing groundbreaking technologies that overcome barriers to reducing its environmental impact – including use of sustainable aviation fuels -- and realizing innovative economic efficiencies. Since overcoming these barriers likely will involve modifications to regulations and certification standards for high-speed flight, ARMD will conduct its research in cooperation with the FAA, International Civil Aviation Organization, and other aviation regulatory agencies.

Significant improvements in aircraft efficiency, coupled with reductions in noise and harmful emissions, are critical to realizing the aviation community’s projections for growth while achieving increasingly challenging national and international environmental sustainability goals. ARMD seeks to enable substantial efficiency gains through vehicle and propulsion technologies. This includes innovative alternative energy-based propulsion systems through the hybrid-electrification of aircraft propulsion in the mid-term, and reduced demands on sustainable aviation fuel production and potential use of other renewable, non-drop-in energy/fuel solutions in the far-term. ARMD also is working to enable substantial reductions in time and cost to market of aircraft through advanced materials, structures, and manufacturing technologies and enhanced digitalization of the full aircraft life cycle to accelerate aircraft benefits into service. ARMD will work across government, the transport industry, and academia to develop critical technologies to enable revolutionary improvements in economics and environmental performance for subsonic transports. ARMD will actively seek opportunities to transition to alternative propulsion and energy for all categories of subsonic transports, including short-haul and regional aircraft but with an emphasis on large commercial aircraft that dominate aviation’s impact on the environment.

The aviation community expects new and cost-effective uses of aviation including advanced vertical takeoff and landing vehicles and other novel small aircraft that could provide air travel as another transportation mode where it has not historically been practical. Intra-city air travel could provide unprecedented availability and potentially shorter origin-to-destination travel times compared to other modes of transportation. While this capability is expected to greatly increase the demand for air service and significantly increase the number of flights, this mode of air travel will only be practical if the advanced aircraft utilized for these operations provide acceptable levels of safety while reducing their environmental footprint (noise and emissions) compared to existing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. ARMD will work across government, industry, and academia to develop critical technologies to enable realization of extensive use of vertical lift vehicles for transportation services, including new missions and markets associated with AAM.

In-Time System-Wide Safety Assurance (ISSA) is a safety net that utilizes system-wide information to provide alerting and mitigation strategies in time to address emerging risks. Moving forward, aviation safety needs to take advantage of modern information availability and intelligent systems. New operational concepts will change and diversify aviation and create the need for advanced safety capabilities that operate on a broad scale. ISSA will incorporate both advanced technologies and collaboration between humans and intelligent agents. ISSA must be both system-wide and distributed. The vision for ISSA is to predict, detect, and mitigate emerging safety risks throughout aviation systems and operations.

Ever-increasing levels of automation and autonomy leveraging modern information availability are transforming aviation and the transportation of both people and goods, and this trend will continue to accelerate. ARMD will lead in the research and development of intelligent machine systems capable of operating in complex environments, including the safe integration of larger Unmanned Aircraft Systems and smaller AAM vehicles into the NAS. A collection of complementary methods will be utilized to provide safety assurance, verification, and validation of these systems. To pave the way for increasingly autonomous airspace and vehicles, ARMD will explore human-machine teaming strategies. Advanced metrics, models, and testbeds will enable the effective evaluation of autonomous systems in both laboratory and operational settings to safely implement autonomy in aviation applications.