British Antarctic Survey completes initial flights of Windracers ULTRA drone in Antarctica

Stunning footage released of ULTRA drone flying over Rothera Research station and nearby islands

A team testing the Windracers ULTRA drone in Antarctica has shared the first video footage of the aircraft flying autonomously over British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station and its nearby islands.

Scientists and engineers, from BAS and Windracers, are testing the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) in Antarctica to check its suitability for future use. Over the last few weeks the UAV has flown over 720kms collecting scientific data that could enable researchers to widen the range of scientific research they do to understand how Antarctica is being affected by environmental change.

If successful, the new drone platform could represent a major addition to BAS’s scientific capability on the frozen continent – offering the potential to increase airborne science and accelerate research through increasing the current BAS operations.

Designed for extreme environments like Antarctica, the Windracers ULTRA UAV is a fully autonomous, twin-engine, 10-metre fixed-winged aircraft, capable of carrying 100 kg of cargo or sensors up to 1000 km. Incorporating a high level of redundancy, the ULTRA can continue to fly even if one of the engines or components is damaged or fails, and has been designed to be fixed in the field with a minimal number of parts. It can take off, fly and land safely with minimal ground operator oversight thanks to its sophisticated autopilot system Masterless™.  

Carl Robinson is head of Airborne Survey Technology & UAVs at BAS and is with the team at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica. He says:

“So far so good, everything has very much gone to plan and the Windracers ULTRA has shown that it can robustly gather a range of science data. Our initial flights have been up to 1.5 hours long with even longer missions planned in the next couple of weeks.”

Airborne surveys are used for a range of science disciplines relevant to polar science, including climate science, glaciology, geology and the study of ocean ecosystems.  

Tom Jordan, the lead scientist on the project says:

“It’s very early days, but initial data is already showing the platform can collect high-quality environmental information useful to a range science disciplines”.

During this season’s testing phase, the Windracers ULTRA will be deployed to:

·      survey protected environmentally sensitive areas and assess the marine food chain (krill) using cameras

·      investigate tectonic structures with magnetic and gravity sensors

·      assess ice sheet structures using airborne radar

·      test an atmospheric turbulence probe to study processes coupling the ocean and atmosphere

“We firmly believe that high endurance, high payload autonomous drones have a valuable role to play in the future of environmental research. So it has been hugely rewarding to see the team testing the ULTRA drone in Antarctica and, while it is early days, we’re very encouraged by its achievements so far and the feedback we’ve been receiving from the scientists and engineers on the ground,” says Stephen Wright, Founder and Chairman of Windracers.

The ground-breaking project is being funded by Innovate UK’s Future Flight 3 Challenge and is part of its pilot programme called ‘Protecting environments with uncrewed aerial vehicle swarms’, aimed at demonstrating how advanced drone technology can be used to gather environmental data in Antarctica.

About British Antarctic Survey 

The British Antarctic Survey strives to uncover the secrets of the Polar Regions and the frozen regions of the Earth. Our expertise spans the depths of the oceans to the inner edge of space.  

Our research highlights the fragility of the Earth’s frozen environments, and what that means for our planet. We have been living and working in the extremes of Antarctica and the Arctic for over 60 years. Our scientists discovered the hole in the ozone layer and identified key evidence for climate change in ancient ice – our science continues to inform decision-makers. We provide the UK’s national polar capability by operating research stations, aircraft and Royal Research ShipSir David Attenborough, supporting science at the poles and securing the UK’s presence in Antarctic affairs.  

Find us at:  https://www.bas.ac.uk   

The British Antarctic Survey is part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). 

About Windracers

Windracers provides the capability to deliver essential logistics to the people and places that need them, anywhere and everywhere, anytime, every time. Powered by our autopilot technology Masterless™, Windracers’ highly reliable long-range drones fly without the need of a pilot, delivering an autonomous solution from engines on to engines off and offering high utilization and scalability. The robust and cost-effective ULTRA (Uncrewed Low-cost TRAnsport) platform can carry 100 kg up to 1,000 km and has Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) capability. With a flexible payload, Windracers Group provides solutions across four sectors: Mail & Parcel, Humanitarian Assistance, Defence and Environmental Protection.