ASTM F 3201:2026

1.1 This practice covers software development, validation and verification practices for software that is part of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), including its associated elements. It may also be used by third-party service providers, including UAS Traffic Management (UTM) service providers. 1.1.1 This practice is intended to provide a means of compliance for regulatory requirements in any country related to UAS software and third-party service provider software dependability. 1.1.1.1 This practice is intended to provide a means of compliance for certain regulatory requirements related to UAS software in the Federal Aviation Administration's Normalizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations (NUBO) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) (RIN 2120-AL82), both for airworthiness acceptance and for automated data service provider certification. 1.1.2 It is assumed that the maximum weight and airspeed of a UAS will be specified by the nation's CAA. 1.2 This practice may be used by software providers who develop a single software component, as well as for end-to-end assessment of the dependability of all software integrated in a UAS. Dependability includes both the safety and security aspects of the software. Appendix X1 provides examples of various software components that may be developed using this practice. 1.2.1 This practice is independent of the method of software deployment. It is assumed that software deployment will be done in a way that meets appropriate safety and security requirements, which are outside of the scope of this practice. Software may be loaded onto an aircraft, executed remotely by a company (or from a ground control station (GCS) that sends commands to an aircraft), or executed via distributed means. Regardless of deployment method, the UAS or the operator, or both, depends on the proper functioning of the software component (or software service) in order to manage one or more operational risk factors and ensure the safe execution of its flight missions. 1.3 This practice may be used by any software provider that is responsible for the design of an unmanned aircraft (UA) or an associated element, as well as software providers that develop and deploy software without having control of the UA design. The practice applies only within the interface boundaries for which the software provider is responsible. 1.4 This practice does not establish technical or performance requirements on software components or third-party services themselves, which are generally built to one or more other industry standards. By contrast, this practice provides requirements and best practices to ensure that software providers and system integrators follow robust processes when developing, integrating, testing, deploying and updating their software products and services. 1.5 This practice is intended to be used for software that supports visual line of sight (VLOS) and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UAS operations. It is assumed that the risk associated with UAS software will vary based on the concept of operations, environment, and other variables. For use cases where no people are aboard the UA, operational risks and hazards may be reduced or eliminated. However, at the discretion of the CAA, this practice may be applied to other types of operations. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. 1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

35.240.60, 49.020