Amazon is developing a better delivery drone. The new MK30 drone will be put into use in 2024. Its design is quieter, has a longer range, and can withstand high temperatures and flying under light rain.
The capabilities and goals of the new drone are the same as the previous generation: fly vertically into the air hundreds of feet, maneuver, and land autonomously, and deliver packages weighing up to 5 pounds.
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The MK30 will be lighter and smaller than the current hexagonal MK27-2 drone and will pass “rigorous evaluations by national aerospace agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration to demonstrate its safety and reliability.”
Amazon isn’t giving up on the decade-long rollout of its Prime Air drone delivery service, announcing in July that its next testing location will be College Station in Texas, where the company has partnered with the city and Texas A&M University. Collaborate to conduct test flights with its current drone prototype, the MK27-2.
Still, the company faces a number of hurdles, including FAA approval, and it’s still a long way from reaching its 2013 goal of delivering goods to consumers’ roofs in 30 minutes.
Amazon’s devices division is facing a multi-billion-dollar operating loss, and the company is looking for ways to cut costs, which could include slowing the development of new features for its popular Alexa artificial intelligence assistant.
