Pierce Aerospace Selected to Build Remote ID Network for NASA, Paving the Way for Drone and Air Taxi Flight in the Bay Area

May 7, 2026

May 7th, 2026, Fishers, IN — Pierce Aerospace, a pioneer in Remote ID technologies, announced they’ve been selected by Metis Technology to deploy Remote ID sensors throughout the Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay Area. Metis Technology Solutions is the Prime Contractor for NASA’s Aerospace Research Technology and Simulation (ARTS) contract to support safety and research efforts for the Air Traffic Management and Safety (ATMS) project and Aeronautics Projects Office at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. This multi-year effort will see Pierce Aerospace’s YR1 and YR2S Remote ID Sensors deployed in a layered, networked manner, providing regional coverage to support NASA’s missions for several years.

Remote ID is the FAA’s requirement that drones broadcast a “digital license plate” that includes a drone’s telemetry, a critical means for the detection, tracking, and identification of uncrewed aircraft. Pierce Aerospace began working on Remote ID technology in 2017 and began fielding it via the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards starting in 2018.

“It is an honor to support NASA’s cutting-edge research that’s at the forefront of evolving Air Traffic Management and emerging aviation technologies and aircraft through the Metis ARTS contract,” said Aaron Pierce, CEO and co-founder of Pierce Aerospace. “In addition to supporting NASA, this network of sensors can be made available to support airspace awareness for commercial and public sector stakeholders.”

NASA’s ATMS project (and broader Airspace Operations and Safety Program) focuses on transforming the National Airspace System (NAS) to safely integrate new technologies like drones, air taxis, and supersonic transports. Projects that Pierce Aerospace’s Remote ID sensors and Remote ID data feeds will serve include:

• Air Traffic Management and Safety (ATMS): The digital “backbone” for the future airspace, focusing on how different types of vehicles (from package drones to commercial jets) can share the sky safely through automation.
• Advanced Air Mobility Pathfinder (AAMP): A combination of Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (EVTOL) air taxis work, Beyond-Visual-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) research, and NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) that’s aimed at defining the “rules of the road” for drone delivery, wildfire operations, and public safety operations at low altitudes.
• Smart Mobility: Small Unmanned Aircraft System flight operations at Moffett Field and elsewhere in support of NASA efforts.

​”Metis Technology Solutions is proud to issue a Phase III subcontract under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, establishing a partnership with Pierce Aerospace to deliver a Remote ID sensor network that will accelerate NASA’s airspace safety and research mission across Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and the Hollister Airspace Ecosystem,” said Sig Lokensgard, ARTS Program Manager, Metis Technology Solutions. “This deployment directly supports NASA’s ATMS project and the broader goals of the ARTS contract by enabling new levels of airspace awareness, data fidelity, and operational insight. We’re excited to help bring forward the infrastructure that will shape the future of uncrewed aircraft integration and advanced aviation technologies.”

“In this effort, we worked rapidly to get this subcontract awarded via SBIR Phase III authorities (15 U.S.C. 638) by Prime Contractor Metis,” said Pierce. “This is the third time we’ve been awarded via SBIR Phase III authorities, which enable all parties to move with greater agility in delivering innovation and capabilities to the end users.”

About Pierce Aerospace: Pierce Aerospace is an IoT and aerospace company providing Remote ID products and services to the commercial and government markets. Founded in 2016, the company is a leader in advancing dual-use technologies from lab to market for federal, commercial, and public safety applications. Visit www.pierceaerospace.net.

About Metis Technology Solutions: Metis is an authentically Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), supporting spaceflight systems, satellite ground systems, modeling and simulation, safety and mission assurance, and research, development, test and evaluation services to NASA, the United States Space Force (USSF), other Federal Agencies, and commercial space companies.