CAMBRIDGE, England, March 24 (UPI) -- British Antarctic Survey scientists have completed the first series of flights by autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles conducted in Antarctica.
The researchers, in collaboration with Germany's Technical University of Braunschweig, said the achievement opens a major new technique for gathering scientific data in the harshest and remotest environment on Earth.
"Apart from takeoff and landing, when the UAVs are controlled by radio, the aircraft are completely autonomous, flying on their own according to a pre-programmed flight plan," said Phil Anderson of the BAS. "Each flight lasts for 40 minutes, covering around (28 miles) and taking 100 measurements a second, so waiting for the UAV to return safely after its research mission was very exciting."
Using UAVs to gather atmospheric data is a major step forward, allowing scientists to study areas that are too costly to reach using ships or conventional aircraft, Anderson said, adding, "The future of much atmospheric research will be robotic."
The British Antarctic Survey, based on Cambridge, operates five Antarctic research stations, two royal research ships and five conventional aircraft.
