An unmanned Chinese helicopter has completed its maiden flight from the Great Wall Station in the South Pole and has photographed fauna and flora in the area.
“Polar Hawk-2,” which was developed by the Beijing Normal University, can operate for about one hour at a time at an altitude of up to 1,500 meters. The lithium-battery powered aircraft is highly efficient, quiet and has low emissions, according to Cheng Xiao, head of the research team.
During the hour’s flight on Monday, the helicopter took over 350 high-quality photos. Since the station is located in the Fildes Peninsula, which is known for its changeable weather, there is a lack of clear satellite photos of the station, while pictures taken by the helicopter clearly show the station, said Cheng.
China currently has four Antarctic research stations — Taishan, Great Wall, Zhongshan and Kunlun.
The photographing conducted by the aircraft also recorded the population of animals including penguins and skua, and it has helped inform estimates of the quantity of greenhouse gases over Philip Island, providing support for climate change studies, Cheng added.
Huang Huabing, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said China’s research and development of unmanned helicopters is among the most advanced in the world.
In 2014, Chinese scientists also used unmanned aircraft to collect information for China’s first airport in the South Pole, during its 31st mission to the Antarctic continent.
The drone, made by Beihang University in Beijing and called “White Shark,” was used to gather information such as ice temperatures and geological conditions of the ice sheet, to determine if the place is suitable for an airport runway.
Liang Jianhong, the Beihang University professor who led the drone project, said that the drone receive signals from China’s Beidou navigation satellite system and is equipped with an infrared thermometer, radar ranging equipment and an optical camera.
Chinese unmanned helicopters have also conducted flights at the Svalbard archipelago in the North Pole and Zhongshan Station in the South Pole.
Source: China.org