Freight-Drone Dream Has U.S. States Vying for Test Sites
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The idea of drones buzzing the skies, delivering packages and spreading seeds, has set off a race among 24 U.S. states to win permission to open testing facilities to see whether unmanned aircraft can co-exist with passenger jets.
States from Massachusetts to California are seeking to build and run centers where private researchers will study how to operate drones without crashing into planes or houses. The Federal Aviation Administration, in preparation for a decision on opening the skies to robots, says it plans to select six sites this month.