The new drones are coming, and thanks to an FAA announcement on Monday morning, we now know exactly where they’ll be. After a 10-month study of possible sites, the FAA has announced six sites where researchers will have license to test the next generation of possible drones. It’s part of the FAA’s ongoing roadmap for unmanned aerial vehicles, which aims to provide a full legal and regulatory framework by 2015. Still, test-site operations will continue for years beyond that, with current law allowing for operation until February of 2017. Each site was chosen to address a particular aspect of the FAA’s regulatory challenge. Projects at Virginia Tech and Texas A&M will develop failure modes and safety requirements, while Griffiss Airport in New York works with sense-and-avoid capabilities. The University of Alaska will test drones in extreme climatic conditions like extreme cold or, in offsite locations in Hawaii and Oregon, unconventional moisture systems.