DGCA issues first micro category drone certification to Asteria Aerospace under Drone Rules 2021
Asteria Aerospace Limited, a full stack drone technology company, has received India’s first micro category drone type certification for its indigenously designed A200 drone from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Asteria’s A200 drone was found to be fully compliant with the Certification Scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems notified in January 2022.
Asteria’s A200 drone has been developed for surveying and mapping applications in GIS,agriculture construction, mining, and other industries. The A200 has a survey grade GPS and a high-resolution imaging camera which can be used to accurately map land parcels, making it ideal for projects like the SVAMITVA scheme, in which the government is using drones to digitize and establish clear ownership of property in rural parts of the country. In agriculture, the A200 drone can be used for precision mapping of farms to accurately monitor crop growth and health, assess damage, and capture visual records for insurance claims amongst other purposes. The micro-sized drone from Asteria can also be used by Remote Pilot Training Organizations to impart pilot training to individuals seeking to acquire Remote Pilot Certificate.
On the certification issued, Neel Mehta, Co-founder and Director of Asteria Aerospace Limited, said, “It is a matter of great pride for us to receive the first micro category drone certification from the DGCA. The certification makes Asteria’s A200 drone fully compliant with the Drone Rules 2021, which is a requirement for drone operations in India. We are committed to leading the way in providing best-in-class, compliant drones to our customers to fulfil applications at scale.”
The A200 drone is a rugged, reliable, and performance-driven multirotor drone that weighs less than 2 kg and has advanced features including automated take-off and landing, multiple fail-safes, single pilot operation, tool-less assembly and disassembly, and a flight time of up to 40 minutes. It is available with survey-grade PPK GPS and both RGB imaging and Multispectral imaging camera options, making it an ideal surveying and mapping drone for applications across industries.
The DGCA categorizes drones based on their weight. Drones with an all-up-weight of 250 g to 2 kg fall under the micro category of drones. The drone certification scheme was introduced by the Quality Council of India, which consulted experts from the industry, government, and academia to build the scheme. The drone certification scheme is brought into effect to facilitate the production of quality drones in India that can exported across the world.
Jothi.S