M3

M3 is an autonomous package-delivery drone developed by Matternet of Mountain View, California, unveiled on 28 September 2026 as the company's next-generation platform. Matternet states it carries payloads of up to 5 kg (11 lb) within a 16 km (10 mile) service radius over urban and suburban areas, with commercial operations targeted for the second half of 2027.

Overview

M3 succeeds Matternet's M2, a drone delivery system that received an FAA Type Certificate and Production Certificate in 2023 — which Matternet describes as the first awarded to a drone delivery system — and that has flown commercial routes with partners including UPS Flight Forward, Swiss Post and healthcare networks in the United States, Switzerland, Germany and elsewhere. Matternet presents M3 as a full platform rather than a standalone aircraft: the M3 aircraft itself, an M3 Dock that stores and charges the drone on a rooftop or at ground level between flights, and an M3 Portal, a low-cost, off-grid, freestanding drop-box where senders and recipients can leave or collect packages without an operator on site.

At its unveiling in Mountain View, Matternet named Dave's Hot Chicken as a United States launch partner and Apian, which operates a drone logistics network for the National Health Service in central London, as a United Kingdom launch partner. The company also cited a strategic partnership with SoftBank Robotics America announced earlier in 2026, and said it plans to build M3 aircraft manufacturing capacity in the United States and to announce further partnerships with restaurants, retailers, hospitals and industrial logistics operators.

Design and capabilities

Matternet's product page shows M3 as a battery-electric quadcopter carrying a slung cargo pod beneath its four rotor arms; the company has not published motor, battery or airframe-dimension figures. The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 21 kg (46.3 lb) and a 20 L cargo bay sized to accept standard merchant packaging, from paper delivery bags to boxes of varying dimensions, with Matternet stating it also supports specialised payload configurations for healthcare and industrial customers. Matternet quotes a cruise speed of 72 km/h (38.9 kn), a maximum range of 32 km equivalent to its 16 km service radius, and says the combination supports more than four typical deliveries per hour from a single site.

Published operating limits include a maximum density altitude of 2,712 m (8,900 ft), wind limits of 10 m/s gusting to 15 m/s, and a temperature range of -20°C to 50°C. In the United States, Matternet separately caps M3's operating altitude at 121 m (400 ft) above ground level to stay within standard Part 107 limits. Command and control runs over a 4G/LTE cellular link to Matternet's cloud software, and Matternet says the design is intended for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operation in high-density urban environments across the United States, Europe and other markets.

Use cases

Matternet is marketing M3 for quick-service restaurant and retail delivery, hospital and industrial logistics, and the same healthcare courier role the M2 has flown for United States and European hospital networks. The Dock and Portal infrastructure is designed to let a single aircraft serve repeated short-radius delivery routes from a rooftop or ground site without requiring a human operator at the delivery end.

Frequently asked questions

How much can the Matternet M3 carry?

Up to 5 kg (11 lb), on a 21 kg (46.3 lb) maximum take-off weight.

What is the range of the Matternet M3?

Matternet quotes a maximum range of 32 km, equivalent to a 16 km (10 mile) service radius from its dock.

When will the Matternet M3 enter commercial service?

Matternet targeted the second half of 2027 at the aircraft's September 2026 unveiling, with Dave's Hot Chicken in the United States and Apian's NHS network in the United Kingdom named as launch partners.

Is the M3 the same as Matternet's M2?

No. M3 is a newer, separate platform; the M2 is a prior Matternet aircraft that received an FAA Type Certificate and Production Certificate in 2023 and remains in commercial operation.

How fast does the M3 fly?

Matternet quotes a 72 km/h (38.9 kn) cruise speed, enabling more than four typical deliveries per hour from one site.