NASA Unveils the Future of Science Drones

November 29, 2017

NASA scientists now have use of two agency-developed unmanned aerial systems that some say represent the future for drone aircraft. The drones purposely were designed for scientific investigations and offer the scientific community complementary, easy-to-use capabilities at a lower cost.

One can carry 35 pounds of payload, fly at 500 to 15,000 feet above sea level, and carry out research over the most forbidding locations on Earth. The second drone was developed to fit inside a vehicle trunk, take off anywhere, and fly up to 90 minutes over 705 acres, with a full payload.

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