System for managing flight controls from a ground station for an uncrewed aircraft

A computer-implemented method for operating an uncrewed aircraft using a ground station remote from the uncrewed aircraft, the method comprising:

• at the ground station located remote from the uncrewed aircraft, generating a first flight plan using a first flight management system;
• at the ground station, generating a second flight plan on a second flight management system, the second flight plan mirroring the first flight plan;
• generating a route using the first flight plan stored on the first flight management system or the second flight plan stored on the second flight management system;
• generating a set of data packets using the generated route;
• extracting a first encryption key obtained from a removable physical media coupled to the ground station;
• encoding each data packet of the set of data packets using the first encryption key to produce a set of encrypted data packets;
• transmitting the set of encrypted data packets to a first router element;
• transmitting the set of encrypted data packets to a second router element, wherein each of the first router element and the second router element are configured to verify each of the set of encrypted data packets by evaluating a signature created using the first encryption key with an entry stored in a global registry and, in response to a successful verification, relay each respective encrypted data packet to the uncrewed aircraft using a respective satellite subsystem;
• subsequent to the set of encrypted data packets being transmitted to the uncrewed aircraft, receiving an execution command at the ground station;
• and
• in response to the first encryption key corresponding to the entry stored in the global registry, causing the execution of flight operations based on the set of encrypted data packets on the uncrewed aircraft.

A ground station for remotely operating an uncrewed aircraft, the ground station comprising:

• a first flight management system configured to store a first flight plan;
• a second flight management system configured to store a second flight plan that mirrors the first flight plan;
• a display;
• and
• a flight planning and display controller operably coupled to the display, the first flight management system, and the second flight management system, the flight planning and display controller including a processing unit and computer readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the flight planning and display controller to:
• generate a route using the first flight plan stored on the first flight management system or the second flight plan stored on the second flight management system, and one or more constraints;
• generate a set of data packets using the generated route;
• extract a first encryption key obtained from a removable physical media coupled to the ground station;
• encode each data packet of the set of data packets using the first encryption key to produce a set of encrypted data packets;
• transmit the set of encrypted data packets to a first router element;
• transmit the set of encrypted data packets to a second router element, wherein each of the first router element and the second router element is configured to verify each of the set of encrypted data packets by evaluating a signature created using the first encryption key with an entry stored in a global registry and, in response to a successful verification, relay each respective encrypted data packet to the uncrewed aircraft using a respective satellite subsystem;
• receive an execution command at the ground station;
• and
• in response to the first encryption key corresponding to the entry stored in the global registry, cause the execution of flight operations based on the set of encrypted data packets on the uncrewed aircraft.