Stardust-II

Stardust-II is a fixed-wing mapping drone developed by Idetec of Chile, first put into production in 2009 and designed for photogrammetry and mapping work at altitudes above 4,000 metres above sea level.

Overview

Stardust is Idetec's flagship fixed-wing mapping platform and the basis for the company's lower-cost AG WING and heavier-payload EVO-Cam models. Idetec designed it specifically for simplicity and reliable operation in demanding terrain, including high-altitude Andean environments, and states it has been recognised as one of the leading precision-agriculture small UAS on the market. It has been in production since 2009 and sold to customers in multiple countries.

The aircraft is built around Idetec's philosophy of keeping the operator focused on the mapping mission rather than on flying the airplane, with fully automatic navigation from takeoff to landing.

Design and capabilities

Stardust is an electric-motor fixed-wing aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 4 kg, a 1 kg payload capacity, a top speed of about 65 km/h and a service ceiling of 5,000 m. Idetec quotes 90 minutes of endurance and a 20 km operating range. The aircraft is hand-launched and recovered by belly landing on a soft-skid device, so it needs no catapult, bungee or net-recovery equipment. Its wing splits into three panels, with the horizontal stabiliser and tail boom also detachable, for compact transport.

The airframe carries visual-range, multispectral and thermographic sensors, including dual-camera configurations, and its imagery workflow integrates with Pix4D, Ensomosaic and Photoscan Pro for orthomosaics, terrain models and NDVI vegetation maps. Idetec developed the type under the FAA's small UAS ARC framework.

Use cases

Stardust is used for precision-agriculture mapping, general topographic and land surveying, and photogrammetry projects that require operation in rough terrain or at high elevation.

Variants

Idetec's other fixed-wing models, AG WING and EVO-Cam, share design lineage with Stardust but are aimed at lower-cost entry-level use and heavier survey payloads respectively.

Frequently asked questions

What is the range of Stardust-II?

Idetec quotes a 20 km operating range and 90 minutes of endurance.

How high can Stardust-II fly?

It has a quoted service ceiling of 5,000 m and is specifically designed for operations above 4,000 m altitude.

How is Stardust-II launched and recovered?

It is hand-launched and recovered by belly landing on a soft-skid device, without a catapult or net.

Who makes Stardust-II?

Stardust-II is made by Idetec, a small-UAS manufacturer based in Santiago, Chile, in production since 2009.