UAVOS and Stratodynamics have announced that their HiDRON stratospheric glider has completed a record-setting stratospheric flight.

Released from a Canadian Space Agency scientific gondola at an altitude of 111,434 feet, the glider performed a four hour controlled flight, eventually landing at Iroquois Falls Airport, which is about 80 kilometers from the Timmins, Ontario launch site.

According to UAVOS, the flight, which set a new operational best for the flight in a challenging stratospheric environment, “once again confirmed the HiDRON's capability to perform high-altitude missions and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations.”

“We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this pioneering flight in Canadian Aviation, and the spirit of collaboration that enabled this successful campaign,” says Gary Pundsack, CEO Stratodynamics Aviation Inc.

“The September 1st flight once again confirmed the STRATODYNAMICS’ capability to perform high-altitude missions and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations and set a new operational best for the HiDRON’s flight in challenging stratospheric environment.”

The HiDRON was launched from the Timmins Victor M. Power Airport via the CSA scientific gondola at 10 pm on Aug. 31. The mission plan was to release the HiDRON from the gondola sometime between an altitude of 30 kilometers altitude and the target ceiling altitude of 37 kilometers. Once released, the HiDRON was expected to follow a pre-set flight plan and land at Iroquois Falls Airport.

The HiDRON was released at around 12:30 am on Sept. 1 at an altitude of 111,400 feet. UAVOS says that it performed well in difficult headwinds, as well as in negative 60 degrees Celsius stratospheric conditions with its AMON detector recording single pixel data in a near-moonless night sky.

The flight achieved several Canadian aviation milestones, including the highest altitude flight of a UAS or Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), the first UAS above 29,000 feet in Class A airspace, and the first release of a UAS from a scientific gondola in Canada. This was also the first time that the HiDRON has been released from a gondola, as previously releases were conducted by weather balloons.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the French Space Agency (CNES) provided support for the flight, as part of the 2019 Strato-Science Balloon campaign at the balloon base in Timmins, Ontario.

UAVOS notes that several upgrades were made to the HiDRON before it was launched, including to its transponder, the stratospheric flight controls, data links, and safety protocols. UAVOS also notes that the HiDRON is equipped with the company’s autopilot AP 10.3 Micro.