An American startup company have designed the largest Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) by mass. 

According to an article on Business Wire, Aevum, which is a private startup that specialise in space delivery based in Alabama, has produced a fully autonomous drone that is designed to deliver satellites to space – the Ravn X Autonomous Launch Vehicle. 

Weighing in at 55,000 pounds (25,000kg) and with both a wingspan and length of 60ft and 80ft (18m and 24m) respectively, the Ravn X will be able to habituate a rocket that holds satellites. Once the aircraft is at the appropriate altitude and location, it will then propel the satellites into orbit. 

In addition, a mile-long (1.6km) runway is all that is needed for the operation’s launch compared to other space missions that require a launchpad. Furthermore, Aevum ’s fleet of this aircraft will enable deliveries of the satellites at a rate of every 180 minutes. 

“U.S. leadership has identified the critical need for extremely fast access to low Earth orbit,” said Jay Skylus, who is the founder and CEO of Aevum.

“Through our autonomous technologies, Aevum will shorten the lead time of launches from years to months, and when our customers demand it, minutes. This is necessary to improve lives on Earth. This is necessary to save lives”.

To aid this project, Aevum were awarded government contracts worth more than $1 billion, with the US Space Force working with the company to perform its first mission – ASLON-45.