A Description of the Multi-Center Traffic Management Advisor (McTMA) Simulation Environment

The Multi-Center Traffic Management Advisor (McTMA) tool, being developed jointly by NASA and the FAA, is being tested to aid with the coordination and management of highly congested air traffic in the "Northeast corridor" of the United States. The McTMA systems interconnect to form a data network and are being field tested in six air traffic control (ATC) facilities: Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), Cleveland ARTCC, New York ARTCC, Washington ARTCC, the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), and the Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC). Concept testing and validation of this highly complex system were conducted in the McTMA simulation environment at NASA Ames Research Center prior to field test. A highly innovative simulation design was employed in order to efficiently test McTMA operating in the complex Northeast Corridor. This paper presents a description of that innovative simulation architecture and its environment.