Bloomberg News (5/8, Newcomer) reports that Uber and NASA have “announced a partnership to study urban manned aircraft.” Under the terms of the partnership, “Uber will share its data with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to move the world closer to developing air traffic management systems for a world with flying cars.”
According to Bloomberg, “While Uber isn’t building these vertical takeoff and landing vehicles itself, the company is striking partnerships with manufacturers, battery companies and others who, together with Uber’s ride-hailing network, could make it possible to summon a flying taxi via the Uber app.”
NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Jaiwon Shin is quoted saying, “Urban air mobility could revolutionize the way people and cargo move in our cities and fundamentally change our lifestyle much like smart phones have.”
The article also mentions that “Uber has set a goal of testing these electric flying vehicles by 2020 and a commercial launch in 2023.”
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