e2E Successfully Completes its First Over-the-Air Flight Trial of its new SATCOM UAS-I Product
e2E Satcom Limited (e2E), a UK-based provider of low-cost, solutions to the satellite communications industry has successfully completed its first over-the-air flight test of their newly launched UAS-I SATCOM communication node for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). This is based on e2E’s innovative e2Eaccess technology that has low size, weight and power at its core. e2E selected Callen-Lenz, a provider of comprehensive technology solutions and consultancy within manned and unmanned aircraft systems, as the official test partner for the trial which took place in Salisbury, UK. Live telemetry data was downloaded whilst waypoint and flight commands were sent
to the winged aircraft over Inmarsat L-band.
Barry Ross, CEO of e2E said, “We have created an ultra-light, less than 1kg communications node which will open the sub 20kg sUAS market for future Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) operations, now having the availability to utilise satellite communications”.
The success of these flight trials is a major step toward establishing safe operational procedures for small UAS accomplishing BVLOS missions. Making satcom available to these platforms as a resilient form of communication creates a justifiable and solid business case for safely extending the reach of UAS operations, globally.
Adrian Eves, CTO of Callen-Lenz said, “Callen-Lenz are delighted to have worked with e2E to conduct the first flight tests of the UAS-I system. We have many years of successful BVLOS trials experience and believe that e2E are
creating the right product at the right time to support wider commercial BVLOS applications. We look forward to working more with e2E in full BVLOS trials this winter as part of the BVLOS Pathfinder project. The three-year programme is being coordinated by the Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) and led by Wales & West Utilities in collaboration with: Cadent, National Grid Transmission, Northern Gas Networks, Northern Powergrid, Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks and UK Power Networks”.
Mario Sforza, Head of Marketing and Sales at e2E, added “Our e2Eaccess UAS-I is a true game-changer for UAS BVLOS operations and provides a very cost-effective tool to operators and end users alike to increase efficiency, resilience and safety while reducing operational costs”.
