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.
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