ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — NASA has agreed to work with drone researchers in central New York, a partnership that state leaders say could help make the area a global leader in the emerging industry.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer announced NASA's involvement on Thursday. The two Democrats hailed the agreement, calling it great news for efforts to spur the upstate economy.
Specifically, NASA will work with an alliance of drone researchers on a drone testing facility and plans for a 50-mile (80-kilometer) air test corridor between Syracuse and Rome.
The state has invested $30 million in the test corridor and another $10 million on a technology competition involving drone technology.