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Video: India's Kalam Labs flies UAV at 9.7 km altitude from the Himalayas
Kalam Labs, India's kids' space organisation, has achieved a remarkable milestone by launching an autonomous aerial mission that soared to 9,790 meters above mean sea level (AMSL), potentially setting a new world record for the highest UAV flight with a wingspan under two record is yet to be officially mission was launched from a Himalayan altitude of 2,700 meters, braving extreme conditions to showcase the power of youth-driven innovation in KALAM LABS'S UAV FLIGHTAchieved 9790m AMSL — possibly the world's highest UAV flight with under 2m from 2700m in the dropped from +20C to -60CWinds crossed 50km/hAtmospheric pressure fell by 73%Fully autonomous. Sub-4kg. Built at Kalam Labs. Kalam Labs (@kalam_labs) June 29, 2025
Founded by three BITS Pilani graduates, Kalam Labs empowers children to participate in ambitious space missions, blending hands-on learning with real-world latest mission saw a fully autonomous, sub-4 kg UAV — designed and built at Kalam Labs — navigate from a balmy +20C at launch to a frigid -60C at peak drone endured winds exceeding 50 km/h and a dramatic 73% drop in atmospheric pressure, demonstrating robust engineering and sets this achievement apart is not just the altitude, but the scale and autonomy of the of the highest UAV flight in India — and perhaps in the world — in its Kalam Labs UAV was dropped from 1,16,000 feet and embarked on an 800 km/h guided >20 km altitude, the UAV travelled back to its base point with sub meter precision. Kalam Labs (@kalam_labs) June 11, 2025advertisementWith a wingspan of less than two meters, the craft operated independently throughout its flight, exemplifying the advanced capabilities of Kalam Labs' in-house technology. The organisation's custom microcontroller, already adopted by leading institutes like IIT Guwahati and IIT Kanpur, powered the mission's guidance and stability Labs' educational approach goes beyond textbooks, giving students direct exposure to aerospace engineering, programming, and real-time mission missions have included launching student-built satellites and unfurling the Indian tricolour at the edge of space.- Ends
