NASA ACERO and EcoAero’s Soteria: Advancing Sustainable Aerial Response for Wildfires and Floods

EcoAero had the opportunity to attend a presentation by Spencer Monheim, Second Shift Capabilities Lead at NASA Aeronautics in the NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California. Monheim holds an undergraduate degree in astrophysics from UC Santa Cruz and began his career at NASA as an intern, later transitioning to a contractor role before becoming a full-time employee at NASA ACERO. ACERO is a program within the Ames Research Center that develops and implements NASA technologies to combat wildfires and coordinate with firefighting teams.

Wildland fires are increasing in frequency and severity, particularly in California, where fire seasons are lengthening. Peak fire seasons now begin in July, compared to August in previous years. Fires have also grown larger and more extreme in behavior: since 1984, the proportion of burned land suffering "severe damage" has increased from 5% to 23%. Current aerial firefighting operations are limited to daytime hours and clear visibility conditions, typically 4 to 6 hours per day. Existing technologies, such as air tankers for aerial suppression, are constrained by these limitations. Many of the technologies currently used by first responders are legacy systems developed some time ago and are not considered modern.

NASA is collaborating with partners in both government and the private sector to improve wildland fire management. Various wildfire responses include fire suppression, delivering equipment to ground crews, and providing communication relays in areas with limited connectivity. NASA is also developing potential responses such as increased use of drones for prescribed burns (which can help prevent larger fires) to eliminate dead brush. However, using drones for fire suppression presents challenges, such as achieving precise and effective drops while efficiently reloading water or retardant. NASA proposes using drones for these tasks as a safer alternative to piloted helicopters or ground crews, especially in low visibility conditions. Additionally, NASA plans to incorporate artificial intelligence to assist with fire detection, leveraging its effectiveness and potentially lower error rates compared to human observers.

The following questions were posed to Spencer Monheim regarding current developments:

Q: How are you addressing the power requirements for drones to deliver heavy payloads?

A: For smaller drones, lithium-powered batteries are planned due to their effectiveness. Larger drones, comparable in size to helicopters, will likely utilize combustion engines burning fossil fuels.

Q: How does NASA plan to create trajectories for drones and prevent collisions?

A: NASA employs an Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) system, which uses vehicle coordinates to create virtual "boxes" around each drone, constraining their movements to prevent collisions.

Q: When will this technology be deployed?

A: NASA's role is to create prototypes or reference implementations for internal testing. Once completed, the technologies are transferred to other agencies, such as the FAA, for potential implementation. This process occurs annually.

Q: What are some of the challenges NASA has faced in this development?

A: One of the primary challenges is integrating new technologies into existing firefighting practices without disrupting current operations. The goal is to enhance the capabilities of fire responders while ensuring that the new technologies are accessible and beneficial to those already performing their jobs effectively.

Building on NASA’s ongoing efforts through ACERO, EcoAero has developed its own proposal that aligns closely with the agency’s goals of sustainable, technology-driven disaster response. Our team’s project, Soteria, represents a step forward in advancing the next generation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for emergency operations.

Soteria is a sustainable vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) quadrotor UAV designed specifically for wildfire and flood response. Inspired by NASA’s vision of using aerial systems to improve situational awareness and safety in hazardous conditions, our design integrates both sustainability and versatility at its core.

Powered primarily by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Soteria combines energy efficiency with compatibility across modern aerospace platforms. The aircraft features interchangeable modules tailored for different disaster scenarios: a water tank for fire suppression, a flood module capable of deploying inflatable rescue boats, and a rescue capsule for transporting injured individuals or responders. This modular design ensures that the UAV can adapt quickly to evolving emergencies without requiring multiple specialized vehicles.

The aircraft’s quadrotor configuration offers exceptional stability, redundancy, and maneuverability—key factors for operating in turbulent, low-visibility environments. Enhanced with radar-based imaging for long-range detection, Soteria maintains operational awareness even through smoke or adverse weather, a capability essential to both wildfire and flood operations. The system’s VTOL capability allows it to deploy from confined or obstructed areas, where traditional runways or helipads are unavailable, mirroring the operational adaptability NASA seeks in future response vehicles.

The Soteria project embodies EcoAero’s broader mission: to integrate sustainability, aerospace engineering, and real-world impact. By merging advanced materials such as titanium and aluminum alloys with modern propulsion concepts, Soteria achieves both durability and efficiency. In flood-prone regions, it can land directly on water surfaces to deliver supplies or extract survivors—an amphibious capability rarely seen in unmanned systems.

In every respect, Soteria aligns with the direction of NASA ACERO’s research: combining autonomous aerial operations, renewable energy use, and disaster resilience. As Monheim described, NASA’s role is to create prototype systems that other agencies can adopt and scale. In the same spirit, EcoAero’s Soteria aims to serve as a concept platform that demonstrates how sustainable aviation technology can directly aid disaster response and save lives.

Through this project, our team hopes to contribute meaningfully to NASA’s long-term vision of safer, cleaner, and more capable emergency response aviation. The complete proposal for the X-74 Soteria UAV can be accessed through the EcoAero Research Repository here.

Image courtesy of NASA. Used for editorial purposes only. No commercial use.