Rain Rate Quantification Dissemination and Determination

In support of the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) concept for safe, sustainable, affordable aviation, ASTM International (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials) has formed a Subcommittee F38.02 (part of Committee F38 on Unmanned Aircraft Systems) to establish the ASTM F3673-23 Weather Information Provider standard to address the performance and interoperability requirements for weather data reports, analysis, and services for operations including, but not limited to, uncrewed aircraft systems and AAM end users. While the current standard covers most required weather parameters relevant to AAM, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has identified shortcomings in the measurement of rainfall rate that must be addressed. To address these NASA-identified gaps, Intellisense Systems Inc. (Intellisense) proposes the Rain Rate Quantification Dissemination and Determination (RAINMINDER) effort to address all four stated NASA goals. Specifically, Intellisense will develop and enhance its patented microvolumetric rain rate measurement technology, calibrating it for the full range of weather conditions, and will compare its performance to rain rate estimates produced by nonvolumetric systems. It will also make rain rate data available to AAM operators using either public dissemination through the National Weather Service or through a private data network depending on the preference of each AAM operator. As a current member of the F3673-23 development committee, Intellisense will lobby to include new rain rate thresholds in the F3673-23 Tier 2 performance standard to align with Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 1 standards, thereby increasing the usefulness of the standard. This, in turn, will promote wider adoption and deployment and enhance safe and effective operational decision-making, thus broadening the weather data available to nonaviation customers and increasing the market for hyperlocal and microweather data.