LONDON, Sept. 17,
2024 /CNW/ -- Windracers, manufacturer of the
low-cost self-flying cargo aircraft ULTRA™, announced today that it
has contracted to provide NORCE, an independent scientific research
institute based in Norway, two (2)
Windracers ULTRA aircraft for use in scientific survey missions of
the Antarctic.
Windracers ULTRAs purchased by NORCE will support Troll
Observing Network (TONe), a state-of-the-art, multi-platform,
multi-disciplinary distributed observation network that will be
established on and around the Norwegian research station Troll in
Dronning Maud Land, one of the most data-poor areas in Antarctica. TONe will strengthen Norway's Antarctic research and monitoring
capability to give Norwegian and international researchers access
to observational data as a basis for new knowledge useful to
society.
"NORCE will employ two Windracers ULTRAs to help carry out a
critical environmental mission of global importance, namely, to
gain a comprehensive knowledge of the physical, biological,
chemical and geological processes taking place now in Antarctica," said Simon Muderack, CEO of
Windracers. "Windracers ULTRA is uniquely suited to support NORCE
through its multi-mission capability and Antarctic mission
experience in January 2024. The
entire Windracers team looks forward to growing partnership with
NORCE and delivering their mission of creating a better
understanding of the Antarctic."
Rune Storvold, Senior Vice
President of Observing Systems of NORCE, said, "One of the reasons
why NORCE has chosen Windracers ULTRA is because of its proven
ability to complete missions in the extreme conditions of
Antarctica. This is a part of a
200 million pound (GBP) upgrade with a new research station at
Troll, renewable energy system and with eight science observatories
and a drone service based on the Windracers ULTRA aircraft that
allow us to carry a comprehensive optical and radar payload and
cover the region from the nearby ocean to the Antarctic
Plateau."
Specializing in operations in the Arctic and Antarctic, NORCE
develops sensors and integrates these into platforms such as
Windracers ULTRA for data analysis and real-time monitoring, data
collection, analysis distribution and visualization. Windracers
ULTRA is a heavy-lift, long distance self-flying cargo aircraft
with a useful payload of up to 100kg and range of up to 1,000km.
With NORCE, Windracers ULTRA will return to the Antarctic having
flown 3,000 km in 25 scientific survey flights fully-autonomously
beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) utilising satellite
communications with the British Antarctic Survey in January 2024.
Learn more at windracers.com.
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SOURCE Windracers