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Earth from Space: Maha Kumbh Mela festival, India
28/02/2025
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captured the Maha Kumbh Mela festival, the world’s largest human gathering, which took place in the city of Prayagraj in northern India.
Recognised by Unesco in its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Kumbh Mela is a Hindu pilgrimage held every few years, attracting tens of millions of pilgrims from India and across the globe. The event this year was held from 13 January to 26 February.
Four sacred cities take it in turn to host the festival, where pilgrims come to bathe in a cleansing ritual. In 2025 it was a Maha (Great) Kumbh Mela, which occurs only every 144 years, making it even more significant.
The images in the slider show the area at the confluence of the Ganges with the Yamuna river near Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad.
The image on the left was captured on 13 December 2024, one month before the beginning of the festival, while the image on the right was taken on 27 January 2025, during the festival, and clearly shows the extent of the temporary structures built for the event.
A vast area covering more than 40 sq km along the banks of the Ganges river was converted into a sprawling tent city, with housing, electricity, drinking water, parking lots, around 150 000 toilets and 11 hospitals.
A series of floating bridges are also visible in the river, connecting the two banks of the Ganges.
The name Kumbh Mela translates to ‘Festival of the Sacred Pitcher’ in Sanskrit, where Kumbh refers to the pitcher or pot that contained the nectar of immortality in Hindu mythology, and Mela means fair or gathering.
Hindus believe that drops of the nectar fell on the four sacred cities that now host the pilgrimage.
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/02/Earth_from_Space_Maha_Kumbh_Mela_festival_India
There are 3 private lunar landers headed to the moon right now — a 1st in space history
February 28, 2025
We're living through a big moment in spaceflight history.
With the launch of Intuitive Machines' Athena spacecraft atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket last night (Feb. 27), three lunar landers are currently on their way to the moon.
Such a surge of exploration has never happened before — and all three vehicles are operated by private companies.
“Athena joining a historic wave of lunar landers on their way to the moon is an extraordinary moment,” Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said in a statement this morning (Feb. 28).
"While the most vital part of this mission lies ahead, we believe this is a signal that lunar services are rapidly advancing alongside civil and commercial intent to establish a foothold on the moon to reach further into the solar system," he added.
The other two private landers — Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost and Resilience, built by Tokyo-based ispace — launched atop the same SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 15.
Blue Ghost, like Athena, is flying under the flag of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which puts agency science gear on private robotic landers.
The goal is to gather data that will help pave the way for NASA's Artemis astronauts, who are scheduled to touch down near the moon's south pole a few years from now and then establish one or more bases in the water-rich region over the ensuing years.
Blue Ghost and its 10 NASA payloads have been circling the moon for two weeks and are scheduled to land in the Mare Crisium ("Sea of Crises") region of the lunar near side early Sunday morning (March 2).
Athena, which totes a small "hopper" named Grace and a rover from Colorado company Lunar Outpost along with its NASA science gear, will follow suit four days later.
Athena will land just five degrees of latitude away from the south pole — closer than any other mission has gotten.
Resilience is taking a much longer, more circuitous route to the moon; the Japanese lander isn't expected to reach lunar orbit until late May or early June. It will make its touchdown attempt shortly thereafter.
Resilience isn't flying a CLPS mission. However, the lander does carry a tiny rover called Tenacious, which was built by ispace's Luxembourg-based subsidiary.
Tenacious will collect samples of moon dirt for NASA, though there are no plans at the moment to get this material back to Earth.
To date, just one private spacecraft has ever landed successfully on the moon — Intuitive Machines' Odysseus, which did so in February 2024.
Others have come close; for example, ispace's first lander reached lunar orbit in March 2023 but crashed during its touchdown attempt a month later.
(Resilience is the Japanese company's second moon lander.)
Athena launched with several other spacecraft last night, including Odin, a scouting probe built by the asteroid-mining company Astroforge, and NASA's water-hunting Lunar Trailblazer.
Lunar Trailblazer is also moon-bound, though it's headed for orbit rather than the surface.
Lunar Trailblazer is taking an even more looping path than Resilience; the 440-pound (200-kilogram) NASA probe is expected to reach Earth's nearest neighbor in early July.
https://www.space.com/the-universe/moon/there-are-3-private-lunar-landers-headed-to-the-moon-right-now-a-1st-in-space-history
China adds to SuperView remote sensing constellation with Long March 2C launch
February 27, 2025
China added to a commercial high-resolution remote sensing constellation early Thursday with the launch of a pair of SuperView Neo-1 satellites.
A Long March 2C rocket lifted off at 2:08 a.m. Eastern, Feb. 27 (0708 UTC) from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Insulation tiles fell from the rocket’s upper stage and payload fairing, as planned, as it climbed into a clear blue sky above the spaceport.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced launch success within an hour of liftoff. While the launch was signalled via airspace closure notices, the mission purpose was unknown.
The previously undisclosed payloads were revealed by CASC to be the SuperView Neo-1 03 and 04 (Domestically: Siwei Gaojing-1 (03, 04)).
The satellites are operated by China Siwei Surveying and Mapping Technology Co., Ltd., also known as China Siwei, which operates under CASC.
The satellites are part of the “China Siwei New Generation Commercial Remote Sensing Satellite System,” which now has nine satellites in orbit and will grow to a total of 28 spacecraft.
CASC describes the satellites as currently having the highest spatial resolution of commercial remote sensing satellites within China.
“These satellites feature ultra-high resolution, high agility, high positioning accuracy, and high-capacity, high-performance data transmission.
Their overall performance metrics meet international advanced standards,” the CASC launch statement read.
The satellites provide high-quality data support for precision mapping services and advances China’s high-resolution agile imaging satellite engineering capabilities, effectively serving the global commercial remote sensing satellite market, according to CASC.
The SuperView constellation currently consists of four Neo-1 optical satellites, four Neo-2 SAR satellites, and one Neo-3 ultra-large width satellite.
SAR enables all-weather imaging while optical satellites provide high-resolution detail.
The newly-launched satellites were developed by the Shanghai Academy of Space Technology (SAST), a major arm of CASC’s space operations, while the launcher was provided by CASC’s China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT).
The previous launch of SuperView Neo satellites saw a pair of high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites sent into orbit in November 2024. All SuperView Neo satellites have been sent into near-polar orbits with altitudes of around 500 kilometers.
The launch was China’s ninth orbital launch attempt of the year.
It follows the launch of the ChinaSat-10R communications satellite from Xichang on a Long March 3B rocket Feb. 22, and the debut flight of the Long March 8A rocket Feb. 11.
The latter launch carried a second batch of Guowang megaconstellation satellites into orbit.
CASC has yet to publish an overview of China’s plans for the year, which is typically published in a “blue book” which provides statistics from the previous year and objectives for the year ahead.
A highlight mission for China in 2025 will be the launch of the Tianwen-2 near-Earth asteroid sample return and main belt comet rendezvous mission.
The spacecraft arrived at Xichang spaceport this month for a launch expected around May.
China may once again attempt to reach around 100 launches—as targeted for 2024—or more.
Commercial launch companies headquartered in Beijing are aiming for a collective total of around 40 launches, according to officials at a recent commercial space conference.
China plans to launch the crewed Shenzhou-20 and -21 missions to the Tiangong space station this year, with each mission expected to last around six months.
The Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft will also be sent to the Tiangong space station this year, while a pair of new, smaller cargo spacecraft could also fly to Tiangong on new commercial rockets this year.
China also aims to debut a number of new Long March and potentially reusable commercial rockets during 2025, including the Zhuque-3, Nebula-1 and Tianlong-3.
https://spacenews.com/china-adds-to-superview-remote-sensing-constellation-with-long-march-2c-launch/
China to train Pakistani astronaut for Tiangong space station mission
February 28, 2025
China and Pakistan have signed an astronaut training agreement that could see the first international astronaut arrive at the Tiangong space station.
The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) and the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) signed the “Agreement on the Selection and Training of Pakistani Astronauts and Their Participation in China’s Space Station Missions” in Islamabad, Pakistan, Feb. 28, CMSEO announced.
The signing ceremony took place at the Prime Minister’s Office and was witnessed by Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of CMSEO, and Mohammad Yousaf Khan, chairman of SUPARCO.
The agreement marks the first time that China will select and train international astronauts, with a Pakistani astronaut to later fly to the Chinese space station.
According to the plan, the selection process will be completed within approximately one year, after which the Pakistani astronaut will undergo comprehensive and systematic training in China, according to the CMSEO statement.
“Pakistani astronauts will be arranged to enter the Chinese space station with Chinese astronauts to perform short-term flight missions in the next few years,” the CMSEO statement read.
Tiangong is a three-module space station constructed across 2021 and 2022, and was the ultimate goal of a Chinese plan approved in 1992 to develop human spaceflight capabilities.
The space station has so far hosted seven three-person crews of Chinese astronauts during its construction and operational phases.
These range from Shenzhou-12, launched in June 2021, to the ongoing Shenzhou-19 mission.
It is unclear how the astronaut will take part in a short-term mission. Shenzhou missions to Tiangong are typically six months long, with three crew members required to operate the station.
China has stated plans exist to expand Tiangong to six modules, and send a larger new-generation crew spacecraft to Tiangong on the new Long March 10 launcher.
The development is part of China’s broader space diplomacy efforts, as well as the Belt and Road Initiative, says Bleddyn Bowen, an associate professor in Astropolitics at Durham University in the United Kingdom.
“It certainly fits into China’s wider Belt and Road Initiative which Pakistan is a major part of, and the larger messaging China deploys around its role as a supplier of high technology capabilities for the developing world or “Global South,”” says Bowen.
The agreement will benefit both China and Pakistan, positioning the former as a leader in space, while providing otherwise unobtainable opportunities to the latter.
“Many smaller or poorer states want to participate in space programs and this is a high level, symbolic demonstration that China can be that platform and bigger partner for smaller space powers,” says Bowwen.
“This is a successful outcome for the Pakistani Government as it can show a pathway for Pakistan’s science and technology industries, sectors, and enthusiasts that it can participate in larger space missions despite never being able to muster the same kind of resources as its perennial rival, India” Bowen added.
The development will also be noted by other space-faring nations, including China’s rivals in space.
The U.S., as the lead for the International Space Station (ISS), is aiming to deorbit the orbital outpost in 2030.
However, Elon Musk, SpaceX Chief Executive and close advisor to the U.S. President Donald Trump, has recently called for deorbiting the ISS “as soon as possible.”
NASA ISS transition plans include getting commercial space stations by 2030.
Executives at companies engaged in commercial space station plans have, however, called for NASA and Congress to take fiscal and policy steps to avoid a space station gap which they fear could cede leadership in low Earth orbit to China.
India will likewise take note of the development.
“India and the U.S., like China, have long sought to use their respective space programs to attract partners and participants that also meet foreign policy and diplomatic goals,” said Bowen.
“India particularly has long seen itself as the champion of the developing or Third World in space.
I would watch closely to see if India will offer an early slot on their imminent human spaceflight and space station program to another country,” he added.
https://spacenews.com/china-to-train-pakistani-astronaut-for-tiangong-space-station-mission/
Secret US Drones Led to Arrest of Notorious Mexican Cartel Boss El Chapo
Feb 28, 2025 at 11:55 AM EST
Asecret U.S. drone operation led to the arrests of multiple individuals associated with drug cartels, including Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
The unarmed drones spied on cartels and were operated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Central Intelligence Agency at the Mexican military's request.
U.S. drone intelligence aided in the arrests of Guzmán in 2014 and 2016, The Wall Street Journal reported. The drones also helped locate his son, Ovidio Guzmán, in 2023.
Joaquín Guzmán, 67, is a former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. He was convicted in February 2019 on multiple charges, including engaging in a criminal enterprise and distribution of cocaine. He was sentenced to life in prison.
President Donald Trump has designated several Mexican drug gangs, including the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, as foreign terrorist organizations and suggested bombing fentanyl labs in Mexico.
He has said he will impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexico unless it stops fentanyl trafficking and migrant smuggling.
The drone program in Mexico has been in operation for more than two decades, according to The Wall Street Journal's report.
The drones were used to capture surveillance video of cartel activity and labs, which was fed back to officials in the United States and Mexico.
Many of the drones used were MQ-9 Reapers, which are used in counterterrorism operations around the world.
Last week, the operation aided in the arrest of a security chief working for a son of Guzmán, Mexican Defense Minister General Ricardo Trevilla told the outlet.
The drone program began tracking Guzmán's whereabouts shortly after he escaped from prison in 2001.
In 2014, Guzmán was arrested at a hotel in the Sinaloa beach resort of Mazatlán. A drone used in the operation was deliberately crashed into the Pacific Ocean after a mechanical failure, WSJ reported.
Guzmán escaped from prison again in 2015. Drones surveyed Sinaloa state in the weeks leading up to his recapture, identifying where he was staying and his daily travel patterns.
In 2016, a drone hovered above the city of Los Mochis as special forces raided one of his safe houses. While Joaquín Guzmán was able to flee, he was later spotted by a local police officer who arrested him.
U.S. Air Force General Glen VanHerck, the former commander of U.S. Northern Command, told The Wall Street Journal: "The Mexican military is very capable, and if we enable them by providing intelligence support, they will go after our common threats.
We just need to do it quietly and not brag about it." The program's future remains unclear as tensions mount in the U.S.-Mexican security partnership.
https://www.newsweek.com/secret-us-drones-led-arrest-notorious-mexican-cartel-boss-el-chapo-2037891
Drone drug bust near prison leads to multiple felony arrests in Washington County
Feb 28, 2025 Updated 52 mins ago
On Feb. 26, at around 11:30 pm, a Washington County deputy patrolling the Davisboro area noticed several suspicious vehicles near the prison.
Upon closer inspection, the deputy approached one of the vehicles and found a man and a woman with a large drone carrying packages zip-tied to its bottom.
Further investigation resulted in the arrest of 38-year-old Shantavia Glass, from Clarkston, 55-year-old Eddie Williams, from Stone Mountain.
Both were taken to the Washington County Sheriff's Office and charged with multiple felonies, including Trafficking in Marijuana, Trafficking in Methamphetamine, two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Schedule 2 Drug, and six counts of Trading with Inmates.
https://www.wfxg.com/news/drone-drug-bust-near-prison-leads-to-multiple-felony-arrests-in-washington-county/article_cf49d382-f5f4-11ef-9744-4b72366fb98b.html
UAE Uses AI Powered Drones to See Ramadan 2025 Moon
February 28, 2025
For the first time ever, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has deployed AI-powered drones to see the crescent moon that marks the beginning of Ramadan 2025.
Advanced drone technology with sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms to ensure the new moon is detected with unparalleled precision.
The project is a collaborative effort between the UAE’s official moon-sighting committee and leading technology experts.
By capturing high-resolution images of the night sky and analyzing them in real time, the drones are able to see the moment the crescent appears—even in challenging weather conditions.
https://theislamicinformation.com/news/uae-ai-powered-drones-ramadan-2025-moon/
Firefighters seen tackling Czech train fire in drone video
February 28, 2025
Drone footage shows firefighters tackling a huge fire in the eastern Olomouc region of the Czech Republic after a train derailed.
The regional fire service said tanks containing the flammable chemical benzene were damaged in the derailment.
It added on Friday afternoon that aerial support was at the scene, while serviceman will still extinguishing 15 rail tankers in an operation expected to last "several hours".
https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c5y2pdz5wwyo
Drone inspections of power lines to start
28 February 2025, 8:15 AM
Aurora Energy will start an acoustic and drone inspection of the two main electricity lines between Alexandra and Roxburgh next week.
Contractor Northpower will carry out inspections over a four-week period from March 3 to 28, subject to weather conditions.
Close to 900 power poles will be inspected, starting in Alexandra and heading south to Roxburgh.
Aurora Energy general manager future network and operations Matt Settle said the company regularly inspects the electricity network using different inspection and testing methods.
The inspection will use a drone flying along the corridor five to ten metres around the power lines and to capture images of the network.
“A ground-based acoustic inspection will be carried out at the same time. Both inspections allow us to capture the asset integrity, to minimise customer outages and plan proactive repairs.”
Customers who have a power line or pole located on their property that will be included in the drone inspections should have received a letter about the work.
The camera will remain pointed down at all times, and residents can be assured that the camera will not look at buildings or through windows.
All operations are performed in accordance with best practice aviation safety guidelines set out and approved by the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority.
https://centralapp.nz/NewsStory/drone-inspections-of-power-lines-to-start/67c0dddb65cadb002e194576
JASDF scrambles jets after first sighting of Chinese GJ-2 drone near Okinawa
February 28, 2025, 15:33 (UTC +3)
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has scrambled fighter jets twice this week upon detecting Chinese military aircraft and drones operating near Okinawa, according to official press releases from the Japanese Joint Staff.
On February 26, 2025, Chinese military drones operating near Okinawa tested Japan’s air defenses.
From morning to afternoon, a BZK-005 reconnaissance drone – plus, for the first time, a Chengdu GJ-2 (also known as Wing Loong 2) reconnaissance and attack drone – were tracked flying from the East China Sea, passing between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island, before entering the Pacific Ocean.
Both drones flew south of Okinawa Island and toward the waters off Amami Oshima, before reversing course and returning to the East China Sea via the same route.
In response, JASDF scrambled fighters from the Southwestern Air Defense Force and other units to intercept and monitor the drones.
The 9th Air Wing of the Southwestern Air Defense Force operates a fleet of Mitsubishi F-15J fighters, a domestically produced version of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle.
The appearance of the GJ-2, a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) armed drone, marks a notable first for Japan’s air defense forces.
Previously observed in operations around the Taiwan Strait, the GJ-2’s arrival near Japanese airspace highlights China’s growing reliance on unmanned aerial systems for surveillance and potential strike missions in contested areas.
Tensions in the East China Sea
Recently the East China Sea, particularly the airspace around Okinawa and the Senkaku Islands, has become a focal point for Chinese military activity, regularly prompting Japanese intercepts.
Just two days earlier, on February 24, 2025, Japanese radar detected two Chinese military aircraft flying a similar path over the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
The aircraft were identified as two variants of the Y-9. One was dedicated to intelligence gathering, the other for maritime patrol. In response, the JASDF launched fighter jets to monitor and track their movements.
The Y-9 is a versatile platform used by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Its appearance near Japanese airspace is a recurring event amid ongoing tensions between the two nations over territorial disputes and broader regional competition.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has repeatedly voiced concern over China’s expanding military presence in the region, warning that such activities could destabilize the regional security environment.
https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/japan-jasdf-china-drone-okinawa
Drone activity raises cause for concern for the public and aviation services around Doncaster Sheffield Airport, UK
Updated 28th Feb 2025, 13:09 GMT
Recent incidents of unauthorised drone activity in the vicinity of Doncaster Sheffield Airport have raised significant safety concerns for both aviation services and the public, prompting a call to those operating without permission to avoid the area with immediate effect.
South Yorkshire Police, along with Doncaster Council and 2Excel Aviation would like to advise operators that, although the airspace around the airport is currently classified as non-controlled, it is still subject to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules and The Air Navigation Order 2016 (ANO).
Some aircraft movements are now taking place and drones, also known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), present a substantial hazard to aviation.
PC Tim Croson from South Yorkshire Police said: “The safety of the airspace around Doncaster Sheffield Airport is a top priority and, in the weeks since the first aircraft returned to the airport in December, we have received multiple reports of unauthorised drones flying over the area.
“This is extremely dangerous as pilots of manned aircraft must have safe access to take off, land, and taxi around the aerodrome.
The Air Navigation Order 2016 states ‘ person must not recklessly or negligently act in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft, or any person in an aircraft”, and those in breach of regulations may face further action’.”
https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/people/drone-activity-raises-cause-for-concern-for-the-public-and-aviation-services-around-doncaster-sheffield-airport-5012038
Chernobyl shelter fire still smouldering two weeks after drone strike
Friday, 28 February 2025
More than 400 people have been working in shifts since the damage was caused to the giant shelter structure covering the area of Chernobyl's unit 4. International Atomic Energy Agency experts report that radiation levels remain normal.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, in his latest update on the situation, said that since the strike on 14 February Ukrainian experts had used thermal imaging and surveillance drones to locate "smouldering fires in the insulation between the layers of the arch-shaped New Safe Confinement structure, injecting water to put them out".
"The firefighters and other responders are working very hard in difficult circumstances to manage the impact and consequences of the drone strike.
It was clearly a serious incident in terms of nuclear safety, even though it could have been much worse. As I have stated repeatedly during this devastating war, attacking a nuclear facility must never happen," he said.
The Chernobyl plant company (ChNPP) said that the external cladding of the arch-shaped New Safe Confinement (NSC) had a 15 square metre area of damage from the drone, with further damage in areas up to 200 square metres.
It said there was also damage to the internal cladding filler and to some bolted connections in the structure.
There have been air raid alarms over the past week which have forced the suspension of work on the shelter structure, Grossi said, and on Thursday "an IAEA expert team observed the remains of a drone that Ukraine said were collected following the strike on the NSC.
The team observed drone parts that they assessed are consistent with a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle. However, the team did not make any further assessment regarding the origin of the drone".
Elsewhere, the IAEA teams at Ukraine's nuclear power plants have heard air raid alarms on most days.
At the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian military control since early March 2022, a backup 330 kV power line is available again after it was lost for about a week earlier this month - the IAEA team at the site continue to hear explosions - some close to the plant site - as well as machine gun fire earlier this week.
What is the New Safe Confinement?
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant's unit 4 was destroyed in the April 1986 accident (you can read more about it in the World Nuclear Association's Chernobyl Accident information paper) with a shelter constructed in a matter of months to encase the damaged unit, which allowed the other units at the plant to continue operating.
It still contains the molten core of the reactor and an estimated 200 tonnes of highly radioactive material.
However it was not designed for the very long-term, and so the New Safe Confinement - the largest moveable land-based structure ever built - was constructed to cover a much larger area including the original shelter.
The New Safe Confinement has a span of 257 metres, a length of 162 metres, a height of 108 metres and a total weight of 36,000 tonnes and was designed for a lifetime of about 100 years.
It was built nearby in two halves which were moved on specially constructed rail tracks to the current position, where it was completed in 2019.
It has two layers of internal and external cladding around the main steel structure - about 12 metres apart - with the IAEA confirming that both had been breached in the incident.
The NSC was designed to allow for the eventual dismantling of the ageing makeshift shelter from 1986 and the management of radioactive waste.
It is also designed to withstand temperatures ranging from -43°C to +45°C, a class-three tornado, and an earthquake with a magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale.
According to World Nuclear Association, the hermetically-sealed New Safe Confinement allows "engineers to remotely dismantle the 1986 structure that has shielded the remains of the reactor from the weather since the weeks after the accident.
It will enable the eventual removal of the fuel-containing materials in the bottom of the reactor building and accommodate their characterisation, compaction, and packing for disposal.
This task represents the most important step in eliminating nuclear hazard at the site - and the real start of dismantling".
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/chernobyl-shelter-fire-still-smouldering-two-weeks-after-drone-strike
https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident
Drone task force informs industry about possible collaboration
28.02.2025, 12:20
On Friday, the Swiss Armed Forces' drone task force informed companies about possible forms of cooperation. This relates to the public sector, the procurement process and export law.
According to Armasuisse, the direct exchange with industry enables the drone task force to involve potential partners in the Swiss Armed Forces' drone capability development at an early stage.
This takes the form of sub-components, complete systems and the provision of test and training facilities.
The Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) established the drone task force in June 2024 in response to ongoing global conflicts and growing threats.
The task force aims to accelerate the expansion of the armed forces' drone capabilities, produce drone solutions in Switzerland wherever possible and minimize dependencies on foreign countries.
Problems with drone procurement
Switzerland is currently procuring an unmanned and unarmed drone reconnaissance system. The purchase was approved by Parliament in 2015.
The six drones, including ground components, simulators and logistics, are being supplied by the Israeli company Elbit.
The project was scheduled for completion in 2019, but has since been postponed to 2026.
However, according to a report published by the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) on Wednesday, a system will then be delivered that does not meet all requirements.
"The project is in crisis," wrote the SFAO. It found overly ambitious targets, inadequate planning and control and insufficient risk and quality management.
https://www.bluewin.ch/en/news/drone-task-force-informs-industry-about-possible-cooperation-2582810.html
https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/02/28/working-with-faa-expands-north-dakota-commercial-drone-prospects/
Working with FAA expands North Dakota commercial drone prospects
February 28, 2025 5:00 am
A freshly approved $11 million legislative appropriation to integrate North Dakota’s unmanned aerial system into Federal Aviation Administration airspace is expected to spur drone development for commercial applications even farther in the state.
Commercial drone uses include agricultural spraying and surveying, power and pipeline monitoring, emergency first response capabilities, and possibly delivery services in rural areas.
The integration of the Grand Forks-based Northern Plains UAS Test Site’s Vantis radar platform with the FAA’s Pathfinder radar program will allow secure data sharing between the two, making the state even more attractive to businesses operating drones beyond the visual line of sight.
The range of coverage will also greatly expand from the current 3,000 square miles to 56,000 square miles.
Most drones currently are operated by line of sight, which means an operator on the ground needs to see where the drone is at all times.
This might be fine for hobby drone operators, real estate business photography or checking power lines up close, but it limits commercial operations to a relatively small, restricted space at any given time.
Expanding that space could potentially expand the business opportunities as well.
North Dakota was the first to receive the test site status and will be the first state to integrate with the FAA’s program.
Frank Matus, director at Thales USA and chairman of the North Dakota UAS Council, said it was the first time the federal government had done something like this, thanks to the maturity of the Vantis system infrastructure and the work of the test site.
The program will help “show the FAA what the future looks like in terms of drone integration into the airspace,” Matus said.
Long-term savings, commercial development
By developing the infrastructure model here, the state can also generate royalties as other states and regions adopt the same system, according to Erin Roesler, deputy executive director for the Northern Plains UAS Test Site.
By integrating before other states, North Dakota also saves money, she said, estimating later integration would cost around $255 million.
The $11 million appropriation was included in House Bill 1038, approved on Feb. 14 by the Senate and finalized by the House on Feb. 20.
From a public safety aspect, Roesler said the test site assisted power cooperatives in the western part of the state during ice storms in 2023 to survey power lines and with flood response in eastern North Dakota.
Besides first response and emergency applications already being tested, delivery of medical products and even commercial delivery for companies like Amazon could come down the line.
“Infrastructure like this would enable those commercial drone deliveries to actually bring more services to North Dakota, increasing the quality of life,” she said.
On the agricultural spraying side, Roesler also expects expansion. Around 21 operators are licensed for unmanned aerial applications in the state, but currently those are all within the line of sight.
“There are fields that traditional ag sprayers cannot access right now because it’s not safe to do so in a larger manned aircraft that they’ll be able to do with a UAS as a comparison,” she said.
Matt Dunlevy, founder and CEO of Aethero in Grand Forks, which operates systems using drones to conduct exterior building analysis for large commercial and public institutions, said many of the companies he works with are trending toward developing beyond visual line of sight operations.
“Being able to tap into that feed, and with these new types of permissions and precedent-setting capabilities, would be extremely important for my company as we try to change the economics of drone missions,” Dunlevy said.
Dunlevy said it is particularly important for the economies of agriculture and oil and gas going forward, directly translating to broader agricultural management and the inspection and maintenance of pipelines and utilities.
“Beyond (visual) line of sight is what this whole industry is striving for, and that’s the holy grail of drone ops,” Dunlevy said. “We’ve been handed this huge success that we need to do what we can to capitalize on.”
Looming transition, potential bans
The bill initially included a $15 million appropriation for replacing Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles operated by state agencies, colleges and universities, which was denied by the Senate.
Agencies ranging from the state Department of Transportation to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation primarily use drones developed by the Chinese company Da-Jiang Innovations, also known as DJI.
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Some security experts say the drones could potentially provide backdoors for information and data gathering by China’s state security apparatus.
DJI states there is no unauthorized data transfer to Chinese authorities and it has passed independent security audits.
The company also claims it has never had requests for data from Chinese authorities, though technically under China’s state secrets laws, DJI would be unable to divulge if those requests are made.
DJI and other drones restricted by the National Defense Authorization Act and the American Security Drone Act of 2023 are not allowed on the state’s Vantis network, and would not be allowed on the system integrated with the FAA.
Roesler said a likely federal ban on noncompliant drones is looming and a transition is inevitable, so state agencies will eventually need to comply anyway.
The recent rejection of the replacement appropriation does not impact the integration going forward, she said.
“These policies will impact North Dakota’s agencies, whether we are prepared for it or not,” she said. “Without a structured replacement program in place, agencies will now face greater financial and operational hurdles in complying with federal law.”
Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, who sponsored House Bill 1038, said he expects the replacement portion of the bill will be revisited during the second half of the legislative session.
Russell Gust of Minot, a drone operator who launched a YouTube channel several years ago when his photography passion morphed into a passion for drone education, regulations and business opportunities, testified against the replacement program.
Gust initially said the amount of money asked for in the appropriation was “egregious” and he didn’t understand the need for approximately $50,000 to replace each drone.
A key problem is the lack of cheap, quality drone options in the market today, outside of easy-to-use and operate DJI drones.
Gust said he has come to understand why those proposing the replacement want to get ahead of a potential national ban.
“If that happens, you’re going to have every state in the nation looking for replacements for DJI drones,” Gust said.
“And there aren’t going to be any, and the ones out there, you’re going to have to wait a long time before manufacturing can catch up with the demand.”
U.S. drone development is limited and outpaced by China-based DJI, where it is heavily supported by the local and provincial government and is blessed with extensive, accessible and deeply entrenched supply chains.
Gust didn’t think a federal ban would cover existing, already-approved drones operated by everyone from hobbyists to universities to state agencies and federal institutions.
Such a ban would be “catastrophic” and lead to widespread job losses for those operators, he said, with the most likely outcome being a phased-in ban.
However, Gust is optimistic about the future of the technology in the state and its applications.
“North Dakota is pretty unique, I think, in the opportunities that you have to use UAVs,” Gust said. “Really, the options you have with a drone are only limited by your imagination.”
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