How SATCOM Is Expanding The Capabilities Of Delivery Drones
By John Oncea, Editor
Drone delivery faces challenges in air traffic control, safety, regulations, and public acceptance. Despite hurdles, companies are making progress with advanced tech and SATCOM for long-range operations.
Recently, I replaced a mudroom on the back of my house and added a deck. All in all, it turned out great. The mudroom was expanded a couple of feet and now includes a standup freezer which I ordered from a big-box store.
The freezer was delivered two days after I ordered it. Pretty good, right? Well, it was delivered to my neighbor’s house so maybe not so good.
I wasn’t home when it arrived but I’m pretty sure it arrived by truck and not by drone. I mean, it weighed a lot (something I found out while dragging it down the sidewalk to my house) and as such, it would have taken a mighty big drone to bring it from the store to my neighbor’s house. Besides that – as best I can tell, drone delivery hasn’t come to my hometown.
But delivery by drone is here and the market is growing as more companies adopt the technology. Amazon Prime Air and Zipline are the current global leaders in drone delivery, and other companies are also getting involved including Uber Eats, DoorDash, and the Cleveland Clinic.
Consumer acceptance appears to be increasing as well. A recent DroneUp survey found over 90% of respondents were satisfied with drone delivery services and 96% were confident in the service’s safety.
So, should I plan on expecting drone delivery on my next order? Well …
Drone Delivery Challenges
It should come as no surprise that there are still challenges to overcome before drone delivery is fully up and running (whatever that means). Truth be told, there are some pretty big ones, starting with air traffic control and safety which becomes increasingly more difficult the more crowded the skies become.
As the number of drones increases, there’s a critical need for effective air traffic management systems to prevent collisions with other aircraft and obstacles. According to AV8prep, developing robust collision avoidance systems for drones is essential, especially in densely populated urban areas. Other safety concerns include developing drones that can operate in all kinds of weather and ensuring redundancy in critical systems and mechanisms to handle equipment failures.
Then there are regulatory hurdles such as compliance with FAA regulations covering drone registration, pilot certification, and airspace restrictions; navigating international airspace laws for cross-border deliveries; and dealing with varying regulations between urban and rural areas.
According to Airsight, “One of the most significant areas of UAS legislation across the country has been related to privacy implications. The mission of the FAA is ‘to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.’ This mission does not include regulating privacy-related issues. As a result, many states have considered and passed legislation dealing with privacy and drones.”
While FAA regulations preempt any state or local laws when there is a conflict, the thought of operating drone delivery in thousands of communities in multiple states – all with their specific laws and regulations – must be a terrifying thought to companies looking to capitalize on the service.
As if that weren’t enough, there are technical limitations to overcome, including battery life and range, as well as payload capacity. And don’t forget the challenges presented by the need to improve infrastructure such as establishing safe landing zones, especially in urban environments with limited space; integrating drones with existing delivery infrastructure and systems; and developing secure smart lockers or delivery pads for package drop-offs.
Finally, gaining public trust and acceptance is crucial, as are addressing concerns about noise pollution from drone operations, alleviating privacy worries related to drones flying over residential areas, and overcoming skepticism about the reliability and safety of drone deliveries.
For drone delivery to be viable, companies must overcome these challenges and, at the same time, balance the initial investment in drones and infrastructure with operational benefits. Addressing them will require continued technological advancements, regulatory cooperation, and public engagement. As solutions are developed, the potential for drone delivery to revolutionize logistics and improve delivery efficiency remains significant.
How Drones Deliver
Despite the long list of challenges, large-scale drone delivery seems inevitable. But then again, we were promised flying cars years ago and where are they?
Still, according to Information Week, “Between 2021 and 2022, the total number of packages delivered by drone climbed by over 80%, totaling about 875,000 deliveries globally according to the most recent Straits Research statistics.”
Ottomate adds, “Within the next five-plus years, Amazon aims to deliver half of a billion packages per year by drone. Today, Zipline has already reached a million drone deliveries thanks to its global presence and Google’s Wing subsidiary has hit 350k.”
So just how are these packages getting from the store to your door?
According to Idea Usher, when a customer places an order, it is processed at the nearest warehouse or distribution center. The package is then prepared and attached to a specially designed drone equipped with several key technological components, including:
- GPS chips for precise location tracking and navigation
- Cameras that function as the drone's "eyes" for visual navigation and obstacle detection
- RADAR/SONAR technology to detect obstacles and gauge distances
Most drones use vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) technology and employ multiple propellers (often in quad or hexacopter configurations) for stable flight, adds Built In. Artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision plan the route and onboard processors to make real-time flight decisions.
The drone takes off vertically from the warehouse or distribution center and, using its onboard systems, navigates to the delivery location, avoiding obstacles like buildings, trees, and other aircraft. Upon reaching the destination, the drone can deliver the package by lowering it via a cord and winch system, performing a fly-by drop with a parachute, or landing completely to release the package.
After delivery, the drone autonomously returns to its base for recharging and preparation for the next delivery. All of this is done while operating at altitudes below 400 feet to comply with aviation regulations.
Expanding Delivery Range With SATCOM
Satellite communications (SATCOM) technology will play a crucial role in expanding the capabilities of drones, particularly for long-range and beyond-visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. Drone SATCOM systems typically consist of SATCOM terminals (all-in-one solutions for transmitting, receiving, and satellite acquisition and tracking), antennas designed to be aerodynamic and lightweight, and modems to process and convert signals for satellite transmission.
According to Elsight, SATCOM enables drones to maintain communication links over vast distances, far beyond the range of traditional radio frequency (RF) or cellular networks allowing operators to:
- Send and receive commands from potentially thousands of miles away
- Transmit imagery, video, and sensor data captured by the drone
- Provide real-time surveillance capabilities
SATCOM for drones utilizes various frequency bands including L-band, S-band, C-band, X-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band. Higher frequency bands generally provide greater bandwidth but are more susceptible to signal degradation due to atmospheric conditions.
As SATCOM provides near-global coverage, delivery drones can operate in more remote regions, areas without existing communication infrastructure, and disaster zones where infrastructure has been destroyed.
While SATCOM offers significant benefits for drone operations, there are some challenges to consider. Latency can be problematic for real-time piloting and SATCOM terminals can impact the drone’s size, weight, and power (SWaP) budget. In addition, equipment and high-bandwidth services can be expensive.
To overcome these challenges, the industry is working on miniaturizing SATCOM terminals for smaller drones and integrating them with other communication technologies (e.g., cellular networks) for redundancy. It is also developing low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations for lower latency and higher bandwidth.
SATCOM technology is a key enabler for long-range drone delivery services, providing global connectivity and BVLOS capabilities that are essential for expanding the reach and effectiveness of these operations. While drone delivery technology is rapidly advancing and showing promise, significant obstacles remain. Companies and regulators are working to address these challenges, paving the way for more widespread adoption of drone delivery services in the future.