Concept Design and Validation

Mosaic ATM authors and supports the creation of Concept of Operations (ConOps) and Concept of Use documents for FAA and NASA customers. We develop comprehensive concepts that address identified shortfalls, provide maximum benefit, and advance program and agency goals. We are experienced working with the National Airspace System architecture and its roadmap, and developing enterprise architecture artifacts. 

Mosaic has supported the development of ConOps across many FAA and NASA domains, e.g., National Airspace System Common Reference (NCR), Common Support Services – Flight Data (CSS-FD), TMI Attribute Standardization (TAS), Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS) Collaborative Air Traffic Management Technologies (CATMT) Work Package 5, Oceanic Trajectory Based Operations (TBO), Surface Operations, NextGen Trajectory Negotiation (NTN), Space Vehicle Operations (SVO), Management by Trajectory, National Airspace System Integrated Collaborative Planning System (NICoPS). 

For example, Mosaic supported the evolution of the National Airspace System Common Reference (NCR) service from initial concept and requirements definition through Final Investment Decision. Mosaic authored the NCR Concept of Operations and Concept of Use documents and developed an innovative strategy for the integration and deployment of the service within the National Airspace System. Mosaic also developed the NCR prototype to validate and demonstrate the concept, requirements, and technical approach. The NCR prototype was installed at the NextGen Florida Test Bed by Mosaic staff and has been used to support various demonstrations, including the Mini Global demonstrations of the exchange of information between Air Navigation Service Providers using global ICAO data standards, and the FF-ICE demonstrations focused on validating the use of NCR within the Flight and Flow Information for a Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE) concept of operations. Mosaic continues to provide systems engineering support in the development and implementation of the NCR Service and looks forward to its deployment in the National Airspace System.

In another example, Mosaic led prototype development, testing, and requirements identification for the FAA’s Surface Trajectory Based Operations (STBO) project, advancing concepts on proactive surface traffic and resource management, the collaboration between the Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and flight operators, taxi routing and runway crossing, and Collaborative Departure Queue Management (CDQM) for capacity, safety, airspace user flexibility, and traffic flow management restriction compliance. Many of these results are encompassed in current Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) functional, operational, and performance requirements and the designs for information exchange between ATC and airspace users. 

Mosaic has performed multiple operational field trials, from validating requirements to developing and deploying prototypes, coordinating with field facilities, and collecting data to evaluate concepts. Projects include deploying integrated surface, terminal, and airline operations center (AOC) capabilities at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in support of NASA’s Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2); integrating surface and AOC capabilities at Memphis International Airport to evaluate departure metering operations for surface trajectory-based operations (STBO); using aircraft trajectory data to conduct arrival operations at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for Paired Approach, and using aircraft trajectory data to provide clearances allowing aircraft to execute Optimized Profile Descents (OPDs) for Tailored Arrivals. Many of these projects involved the development of complex algorithms and business logic. Mosaic has developed processes to verify and validate these via simulation, data collection and analysis, and/or field trials.