The Federal Aviation Administration is now working to have the first of the six unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research and test sites operational within 180 days.These sites will promote critical research into the certification and operational requirements necessary to safely integrate these vehicles into the US national airspace.
In selecting the six test site operators, the FAA considered geography, climate, location of ground infrastructure, research needs, airspace use, safety, aviation experience and risk. In totality, these six test applications achieve cross-country geographic and climatic diversity and help the FAA meet its UAS research needs.
The web site has now been updated to include Test Site POCs and the initial list of Test Site FAQs.
Source: FAA