In aerospace, autonomous functionality has been evident since the very earliest days of heavier-than-air flight. The last century of progress in manned flight vehicles has seen continuing advances in autonomous capability ranging from the earliest autopilots to sophisticated fly-by-wire control systems and beyond. Most recently, unmanned air vehicles, known today as uncrewed air vehicles, or drones, have drawn increasing attention to the subject of autonomous flight. The ongoing odyssey toward increasingly autonomous capability continues with the assumption that much is yet to be discovered, invented, and applied.

In that spirit, The Anatomy of Autonomy:

• Introduces the broader aerospace community to the concepts and technologies that define and shape aerospace autonomy as it is currently understood and employed

• Shares perspectives on the evolving value and future potential of autonomy

across aerospace applications

• Introduces and explores a framework for the development and implementation

of autonomous capabilities and systems

• Provides an in-depth discussion of autonomy in aerospace systems, encompassing

development and operations

Intended to inform and educate a broad audience within industry, government, and the larger public sphere, this book acquaints readers with the value proposition for autonomy in aerospace, an understanding of the basic functional architecture that underpins autonomous system design, and an appreciation for the historical evolution of autonomous capabilities over a range of aerospace applications.