May 22, 2026
We were excited to recently welcome visitors to the Maritime Autonomous Systems Test Site (MASTS) at Willoughby Spit in Norfolk, VA. We had the pleasure of […]
Mission/Vision
The Virginia Institute for Spaceflight and Autonomy (VISA) is chartered to grow the entrepreneurial ecosystems for space flight and autonomy. The Institute will be the hub to leverage Virginia’s world-class assets in autonomous systems, space technologies, modeling and simulation and data science to solve real-world problems.
As part of ODU's Office of Enterprise Research & Innovation, VISA's vision is to create an environment of research, technology, commercialization and educational opportunities to grow the spaceflight and autonomous systems industry through industry, academic and governmental agency partnerships.
May 8, 2026
VISA is excited to share that Senior Research Fellow Dr. Dave Bowles has been asked to serve as a member of the Virginia Air & Space […]
May 1, 2026
VISA was excited to host a small delegation from Norway recently as part of an ongoing exchange facilitated with the City of Virginia Beach. The visit highlighted […]
October 30, 2025
VISA Executive Director Dr. Yiannis Papelis Participates in Panel to Unveil “Hampton Roads Playbook”
VISA’s Executive Director Yiannis Papelis, Ph.D., was on the all-star industry panel at the unveiling of the “Hampton Roads Playbook” – a dynamic roadmap designed to […]
October 9, 2025
VISA team members attended the 2025 Virginia AeroSpace Business Association (VASBA) Aerospace Gala. Proceeds from this event go to STEM scholarships. It’s also a great opportunity […]
September 12, 2025
WTKR News 3 interviewed VISA’s Executive Director Dr. Yiannis Papelis about the new Maritime Autonomous Systems Test Site (MASTS) and how it can help the maritime […]
August 20, 2025
Our team was at Willoughby Spit in Norfolk, VA today for the Old Dominion University Maritime Autonomous Systems Test Site (MASTS) Opening Celebration! A landmark collaboration […]
August 15, 2025
Team members from both Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy and ODU Office of Enterprise Research and Innovation (OERI) have had their paper, “Assessing Communications Equipment Performance […]
February 4, 2025
Suffolk, VA, (January 4, 2025) – The Old Dominion University (ODU) Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy (VISA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. […]
February 29, 2024
Together, DroneUp, ODU, Riverside Health System, Accomack Northampton Planning Commission and VIPC are reaching new heights in rural health care access. RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, February […]
December 15, 2023
From VIPC: RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, December 13, 2023 — A comprehensive airspace analysis is making the safety case for seeking Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval […]
October 10, 2023
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (October 10, 2023) – An innovative partnership of Virginia for-profit, non-profit, government and education organizations is proud to announce the successful launch […]
July 6, 2023
The ASV can autonomously patrol a designated area during emergencies, detecting hazards and capturing data to secure the Port of Virginia and Hampton Roads. The integration […]
May 30, 2023
By Joe Garvey David Bowles, executive director of Old Dominion University’s Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy (VISA), sees enormous potential in a new initiative that would […]
May 1, 2023
Onancock, VA. (May 1, 2023) – The Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy (VISA), Riverside Health System (RHS), DroneUp, and the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission (A-NPDC) […]
April 24, 2023
Riverside, in partnership with DroneUp, VISA/ODU, the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission, and the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), will begin delivering prescription medications to patients on […]