Realistic Trajectory Generation in Simulated Environments for U-Space Systems Assessment

As unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) gain traction in civil airspace, the ability to generate and analyze realistic flight trajectories is critical for advancing U-space services and ensuring safe integration. This paper outlines an upcoming study on creating high-fidelity UAS trajectories using the PX4 autopilot software-in-the-loop (SITL) environment with Gazebo as the simulation platform. The objective is to replicate flight behaviors that closely approximate real-world conditions, accom-modating variables such as wind effects, data link disruptions, sensor/system failures, RC link loss, and battery dynamics, all of which are essential for a comprehensive assessment of UAS operational resilience. To support large-scale trajectory dataset generation, the proposed framework integrates a parallelized execution strategy using Docker-based fast-time simulation. This implementation significantly improves computational efficiency, achieving up to a tenfold increase in processing speed compared to conventional methods. The study further analyzes the impact of environmental conditions on processing time, demonstrating that additional perturbations do not introduce significant computational overhead. Additionally, we will explore initial proposals for data structures, databases, and interoperability frameworks that facilitate seamless integration with existing conflict detection systems, ensuring that future U-space services can be efficiently developed. Aligned with Eurocontrol's BADA (Base of Aircraft Data) model for UAS, this work seeks to contribute a robust dataset and methodology to support enhanced airspace management, conflict resolution, and safety metrics within <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$U$</tex>-space. The ultimate aim is to provide insights into the operational viability of simulated UAS trajectories and inform future <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$U$</tex>-space applications, such as urban air mobility, surveillance, and logistical operations.