October 7, 2025 – Aerospace firm ORKID has unveiled a new variant of its ORKID 260 drone, marking a significant advancement in aerial data capture technology.
According to the company, the ORKID 260VTOL is “the world’s first vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone to bring all four of the most advanced aerial data capture technologies together—onboard, fully integrated, and operating simultaneously.”
The system combines LiDAR (YellowScan Surveyor Ultra), photogrammetry (Phase One P5 camera), GNSS/IMU (Trimble Applanix APX-RTX), and native Starlink SATCOM integration in a single platform.
Built on a 100% electric, NDAA-compliant architecture, the aircraft delivers an estimated 1.5 hours of flight endurance with a range of up to 75 miles. Designed for mapping, surveying, utilities, oil and gas, defence, and critical infrastructure inspection, the new model expands the operational scope for high-precision, long-range missions.
Commenting on the launch, Santiago Pinzon, CEO at ORKID, said:
“For the first time, you will be able to fly one aircraft, on one mission, and capture survey-grade LiDAR, ultra-high-resolution imagery, centimeter-level positioning, and control it all live over Starlink — from anywhere in the world.”
The ORKID 260VTOL represents a leap forward in the integration of advanced sensing and communication technologies, setting a new benchmark for multi-mission drone capability across commercial and industrial applications.
SOURCE NAD IMAGE: ORKID PRESS RELEASE
