DJI tests drone deliveries to Mount Everest

The Chinese drone manufacturer DJI has tested a drone delivery to Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, together with the Nepalese drone service provider Airlift, the video production company 8KRAW and the certified Nepalese mountain guide Mingma Gyalje Sherpa. The successful test flight took place at the end of April 2024 with a DJI FlyCart 30 drone, as DJI announced on Tuesday.

The DJI FlyCart 30 transport drone, which is powered by an electric motor, can transport payloads of up to 30 kg. Due to the extreme altitude and environmental conditions on Mount Everest, the transport load was limited to 15 kg.

The test flight took place between Everest Base Camp and Camp 1. The two camps, which are part of an entire camp system for the safe ascent to the summit of Mount Everest, are separated by the Khumbu Icefall. Overcoming the route with Sherpas is considered one of the most dangerous sections of the ascent to the summit of Everest. The Sherpas have to cover between 6 and 8 hours. They have to cross the icefall around 30 times per climbing season to transport supplies and equipment to Camp 1. On the way back, they take the resulting garbage from the camp back with them, a traditional task for the Sherpas. Each climber produces around 8 kg of garbage. In 2023, three Sherpas lost their lives on the ascents and descents between the camps. The use of helicopters is also possible, but is rarely used due to the high risk and extreme cost.

The DJI drone transported three oxygen bottles and 1.5 kg of supplies from the base camp to Camp 1, covering a distance from 5300 m above sea level to 6000 m above sea level to Camp 1 - an altitude difference of 700 m. On the way back, the FlyCart took 30 pieces of garbage back to base camp. The flight took just 12 minutes and can be carried out during the day and at night. The transports could relieve the Sherpas, according to DJI.

Extreme environmental conditions

According to the partners involved, the flights were carried out under extreme environmental conditions, which the DJI engineers had taken into account beforehand. For example, the FlyCart 30 had to be able to withstand temperatures between -15 °C and 5 °C and wind speeds of up to 15 m/s. The engineers also took into account the thin high-altitude air above 6000 m during test flights, which included unloaded hovering flights and flights with increasingly heavy payloads. Temperature and wind resistance tests were also carried out.

Officially, however, DJI will not operate a permanent drone delivery service on the southern slope of Mount Everest. The Nepalese government has commissioned a local drone company to carry out such flights since May 22 and in future during the climbing season from April to May.

(olb)