Mississippi State University has been selected by the FAA to lead the team operating the new National Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.  The flagship university will bring together partners in academics and industry for the purpose or research and development of UAS, as well has integration into national airspace.

Congress has charged the FAA with developing rules regulating commercial unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and the new center will play a key role in that process. 

While research will take place at member universities throughout the U.S. and globally, the center’s work will be concentrated at Stennis Space Center in Hancock County to take advantage of airspace over the Gulf of Mexico, in the Mississippi Delta to conduct unmanned precision agriculture research, and around MSU’s Raspet Flight Research Lab in Starkville.

“Precision agriculture is data-driven and UAS technology adds another significant layer of data for researchers and ultimately crop consultants and producers to assess and utilize in a meaningful way,” said Robert Moorhead, the director of the Geosystems Research Institute.

Additionally, MSU and Hinds Community College announced a 2 Plus 2 academic partnership in precision agriculture last month. The program will provide students opportunities to learn about cutting-edge technology — including UAS — and prepare them for leadership roles in 21st Century agribusiness.