Services/Federal Government
Federal Government
NextGen & SESAR R&D
Cignus supports federal aviation R&D programs focused on next-generation air traffic management technologies and operational concepts. We have contributed to FAA NextGen programs including Network Enabled Operations, UAS NAS integration planning, and commercial space traffic management. Our research spans concept development, prototype engineering, operational requirements analysis, and live demonstration planning in collaboration with government and industry partners.
Concept Development
Operational concept documents and requirements for proposed NextGen capabilities.
Prototype Engineering
Rapid development of technology prototypes for government evaluation and testing.
Live Demonstration Support
Planning, coordination, and execution of multi-stakeholder technology demonstrations.
Systems Engineering & Program Support
Our systems engineering team brings rigorous SE discipline to complex federal aviation programs, providing requirements analysis, architecture definition, interface management, and verification/validation planning. We have led systems engineering efforts for Boeing/FAA programs including the NEO inter-agency communications platform and have provided program management support for multi-year SBIR development contracts with NASA.
Requirements Management
Stakeholder needs analysis, requirements decomposition, and traceability matrices.
System Architecture
Functional and physical architecture definition for complex multi-system programs.
Integration & Test Planning
Interface control documents, verification plans, and test procedure development.
Program Management
Schedule, cost, and risk management for federal contract performance.
Commercial Space Technology
Cignus developed the FAA Spaceport Analysis Toolkit (SAT) for the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, a cloud-based 3D GIS platform that evaluates proposed spaceport locations against NAS infrastructure, public safety, and environmental criteria. This first-of-its-kind tool streamlines the FAA licensing pre-assessment process for commercial launch and recovery site operators, reducing the time and cost of initial feasibility evaluation.
Spaceport Feasibility Analysis
Automated geospatial assessment of proposed launch/recovery sites against FAA criteria.
3D GIS Visualization
Cesium-based mapping with airspace, terrain, and infrastructure data layers.
Risk Analysis Algorithms
Custom analytical webservices for airspace conflict and public safety zone evaluation.
UAS/AAM Integration into the NAS
Cignus supports the FAA's UAS Integration into the NAS program directly, providing policy analysis, operational requirements development, and inter-agency coordination. Our work includes systems engineering support for the Network Enabled Operations (NEO) program under FAA NextGen, advancing UAS traffic management frameworks and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) concepts and integration planning for the national airspace system.
Operational Requirements
UAS-specific operational requirements and service descriptions for NAS integration.
Inter-Agency Coordination
Coordination between FAA, DoD, and DHS for shared airspace operational concepts.
Demonstration Planning
Multi-vendor live demonstration activity plans and execution coordination.
SBIR/STTR Innovation
Cignus has been awarded multiple NASA SBIR contracts for aviation safety and operations technology development, progressing from Phase I feasibility studies through Phase II prototype development and commercialization. Our SBIR portfolio includes MANOR (airport operational risk monitoring), SafeFlight (NAS-wide safety analytics), and the Airport Safety Digital Twin platform, each representing a significant advancement in how the aviation community monitors and manages operational safety.
Phase I Feasibility
Concept validation and technical feasibility assessment for novel aviation technologies.
Phase II Prototyping
Full prototype development, testing, and stakeholder evaluation of operational platforms.
Commercialization
Transition of SBIR-funded technologies into market-ready products and services.