First unmanned robotic planes fly over Antarctic
Wednesday, 19 Mar 2008 14:44
The AUV landing successfully after flying over Antarctica
Science In Focus
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The first unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have successfully flown over Antarctica, opening up huge possibilities for researching the region.
Scientists behind the flights say they could be used to gather scientific data in what is one of the world's harshest and remotest environments.
Some areas in Antarctica are too costly to reach using ships or conventional aircraft.
The UAVs completed 20 flights between October and December, including four over the Weddell Sea.
Apart from takeoff and landing, the aircraft were completely autonomous.
They were fitted with instruments to record the exchange of heat between the lower atmosphere and sea ice.
Dr Phil Anderson of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which launched the flights with the Technical University of Braunschweig, described the UAVs' success as "a huge technological achievement".
He predicts that as UAVs can reach more parts of the planet, "the future of much atmospheric research will be robotic".
The UAVs have a wingspan of 2m and weigh 6kg. They are powered by state-of-the-art lithium ion polymer battery packs and are launched by catapult with skis for landing.
"Each flight lasts for 40 minutes, covering around 45km and taking 100 measurements a second, so waiting for the UAV to return safely after its research mission was very exciting," Dr Anderson said.
"Seeing the first UAV come back successfully was a real heart-in-the-mouth moment."
Scientists are keen to study the sensitivity of Antarctica's ice to climate change as it reflects heat and helps to cool the planet.