The open source InterUSS Platform test suite enables compliance to common industry standards and regulation through ecosystem-wide automated testing.
Why automated ecosystem-wide testing?
The European Commission adopted in April 2021 a U-space regulatory package1 that will enter into force in January 2023. It sets the framework for the provision of 4 mandatory U-space services provided by U-space service provider (USSP, also known as UTM Service Suppliers (USS).
To provide U-space services, USSPs must demonstrate compliance with relevant standards. This check out process can be performed manually. However, this approach is expensive in terms of human resources and is not suited to an increased number of participants. In practice, each time a participant would make a change, it would have to go through the process again. This is also to ensure that the whole ecosystem is working together in a unified manner with every software release.
Open source test suite for U-space services
The open source automated test suite developed on the InterUSS Platform enables the USSPs to continuously test their ability to meet the requirements set in the standards that shape the framework for the implementation of a U-space/UTM services.
This approach has already been developed for :
- Network remote identification service based on the ASTM F3411-19 Standard.2
- The UAS flight Authorisation service based on the ASTM F3548-21 Standard.3
Read the UAS Flight Authorisation Automated Testing whitepaper >
InterUSS Platform Open Source Test Suite
- Aids U-space compliance
- Tests standards-based systems
- Serves the ecosystem
- Enables uses beyond interoperability (e.g. geo-awareness)
How authorities can use the open source test suite
An Authority can use the framework to test the ability of USSPs to meet the data exchange requirements set in the U-space regulatory package. Access to the qualification environments will be granted by the authority through an authorization service. No human coordination will be required to check out the new participant. The Authority will receive a report which contains all the information required to assess the ability of the participant to join the production environment. The report includes the test configuration, test target versions, test driver version, request traces, and the list of issues the test driver encountered while submitting requests or inconsistencies in the system during the test sequence.
How industry can use the open source test suite
The test framework empowers USSP applicants to prepare for a checkout by continuously testing their implementation of the technical standard as part of their software delivery process. Access to the shared interoperability qualification environment is generally granted upon submission of successful results of the test framework when run in the USSP’s private staging environment.
Once access has been granted, interoperability testing can be achieved in the shared interoperability staging environment with other participants. A successful test allows a participant to deploy its new version in the production environment.
It is expected that for each new version of a participant’s system, the test is run first in their private software delivery process and in the shared interoperability qualification environment before going to production.
To assess the reliability of the distributed system end to end, the test should be run periodically or upon every new software release in the shared interoperability qualification environment. The objective is to highlight issues related to connectivity, infrastructure and in general operations not necessarily directly linked with the software itself which could go unnoticed on a single point in time experiment.
1Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/664 of 22 April 2021 on a regulatory framework for the U-space.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/665 of 22 April 2021 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373 as regards requirements for providers of air traffic management/air navigation services and other air traffic management network functions in the U-space airspace designated in controlled airspace.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/666 of 22 April 2021 amending Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 as regards requirements for manned aviation operating in U-space airspace.
2 Standard Specification for Remote ID and Tracking (astm.org)
