'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M119%2071.0684C118.2%2078.6684%20112.667%2087.5684%20110%2091.0684C122.5%2081.5684%20127%2073.5684%20127.5%2066.0684L119%2071.0684Z'%20fill='url(%23paint1_linear_23_56)'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M81.5%200.568359L37%2025.0684L37.5%2070.0684C38.5%2075.5684%2044%2082.5684%2054.5%2090.0684C65%2097.5684%2071%20101.068%2081.5%20107.568C84%2097.0684%20107.5%2096.0684%20112.5%2068.0684L127.5%2059.0684V50.5684L105.5%2063.5684C104.5%2083.5684%2092%2087.0684%2081.5%2095.5684C81.5%2095.5684%2072.1875%2090.5684%2066.5%2087.0684C64.5%2085.8376%2056.2917%2079.5684%2052.5%2076.0684C46.6198%2070.6404%2046.5%2070.0684%2046.5%2060.5684V31.5684L81.5%2012.0684L117.5%2031.0684V37.5684L88%2055.5684C88%2068.0684%2088.5%2069.5684%2082.5%2073.0684C75.0421%2068.7985%2071.7911%2066.2345%2066.5%2061.5684V43.0684L82%2034.0684L93%2040.0684L102.5%2034.5684L82%2023.0684L57%2037.5684V54.0684C57%2064.5684%2057%2066.3684%2060%2069.0684C64%2072.6684%2076%2081.235%2081.5%2085.0684C97%2076.5684%2097%2069.5684%2097%2060.5684L127.5%2042.5684V25.0684L81.5%200.568359Z'%20stroke='url(%23paint2_linear_23_56)'%20stroke-miterlimit='16'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M119%2071.0684C118.2%2078.6684%20112.667%2087.5684%20110%2091.0684C122.5%2081.5684%20127%2073.5684%20127.5%2066.0684L119%2071.0684Z'%20stroke='url(%23paint3_linear_23_56)'%20stroke-miterlimit='16'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_23_56'%20x1='82.25'%20y1='0.568359'%20x2='82.25'%20y2='107.568'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%23C91C20'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23891C2C'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint1_linear_23_56'%20x1='82.25'%20y1='0.568359'%20x2='82.25'%20y2='107.568'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%23C91C20'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23891C2C'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint2_linear_23_56'%20x1='82.25'%20y1='0.568359'%20x2='82.25'%20y2='107.568'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%23C91C20'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23891C2C'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint3_linear_23_56'%20x1='82.25'%20y1='0.568359'%20x2='82.25'%20y2='107.568'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%23C91C20'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23891C2C'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
HiDRON
An ultra-light glider released from a high-altitude balloon and flown autonomously back to a precision landing — record flights from above 111,000 ft.
Engineering heritage · Stratospheric
- release altitude, Canadian record
- 111,434 ft
- controlled return flight
- ~4 h
- operating temperature
- −60 °C
An ultra-light composite glider carried aloft by a high-altitude balloon, released in the stratosphere and flown autonomously back to a precision landing. It collects in-situ atmospheric data on the descent and demonstrates controlled beyond-visual-line-of-sight flight in the thin air, extreme cold and high winds of the upper atmosphere — a low-cost alternative to sounding rockets and expendable radiosondes.
HiDRON was developed in collaboration with Stratodynamics Aviation.
Specifications
- Class
- Balloon-launched stratospheric glider
- Wingspan
- 3.3 m (11 ft)
- Weight
- 5 kg (11 lb), composite
- Maximum payload
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) in-situ instrument
- Autopilot
- Redundant, BVLOS-capable
- Launch
- Released from a high-altitude balloon or gondola
- Record release altitude
- 111,434 ft (33.9 km)
- Controlled flight
- About 4 h
- Maximum true airspeed
- Up to 200 m/s
- Operating temperature
- Down to −60 °C (−76 °F)
- Wind tolerance
- Headwinds up to 180 km/h (112 mph)
- Recovery
- Fully autonomous return and landing
Press and media
Published by UAVOS and the trade press.
Press release
News
Research
Next step
Apply this experience to your program
Proven design patterns from fielded unmanned systems, applied by a U.S.-owned, U.S.-controlled team.