Freefly Astro Max + Pilot Pro (Doodle) – NDAA/Blue is the U.S.-built, low-noise, multi-mission workhorse developed for agencies and enterprise operators that need secure supply chain assurance and high-quality aerial data without the bulk of a heavy-lift rig. Astro Max delivers extended flight endurance, precision positioning with RTK, modular payload flexibility (up to 61MP mapping, thermal, dual-thermal, laser range finding, LiDAR integrations, and more), and seamless connectivity through Auterion’s enterprise software ecosystem.

Designed, assembled, tested, flown, crashed, refined, and supported in Woodinville, Washington, Astro Max is Blue UAS / NDAA-compliant and backed by a Freefly fleet lineage of 100,000+ successful commercial flights. Thousands of Freefly aircraft already operate worldwide, logging hundreds of thousands of flight hours across mapping, inspection, public safety, utility, and special operations programs. Bring U.S.-engineered reliability, open interfaces, and real operational support to your drone program.

The Strong, Silent Type

• Astro Max earns its reputation in noise-sensitive airspace.
  21 in props on a ~14 in square airframe maximize disc area (~96% planform) for efficient lift and ultra-low acoustic footprint.
• Custom motor drive hardware + control algorithms manage large, slow-spinning props for remarkable stability and smooth joystick response.
• Large props = longer hang time over target, steadier imaging, and less pilot workload.

Open & Productive Ecosystem

• Part of Freefly’s 0–35 lb payload family—common controllers, quick releases, and gimbals shared across platforms to protect your investment.
• Smart Dovetail interface exposes power, Mavlink, Ethernet, serial, and hardpoints for rapid payload integration.
• Industry adopters rely on Freefly openness; your existing payloads, sensors, and accessories move forward with you.
• Thousands of units in the field; hundreds of thousands of cumulative flight hours validating the ecosystem.

Mission-Ready NDAA / Blue UAS Platform

• U.S.-made airframe and ground hardware; designed, built, and supported in Woodinville, WA.
• NDAA / Blue component pedigree for government, defense, and critical-infrastructure programs.
• Integrated Pilot Pro (Doodle) controller variant with Doodle Labs secure digital radio architecture for resilient, non-Chinese RF links.
• RTK positioning, LTE cloud connectivity, onboard mission computer, and AuterionOS stack tie flight ops to enterprise compliance and fleet analytics.

Astro Tech

Cutting-edge engineering under the hood delivers the flight precision, endurance, and data quality professionals expect. From prop physics to fleet-scale telemetry, Astro Max was built to work—not to demo.

Props to the Props

• Freefly pushed prop geometry to the edge: huge 21 in blades provide lift efficiency on a compact 14 in footprint, so you carry real sensors without hauling a giant airframe.
• Slow RPM + tuned motor control loops = smooth holds, sharp inputs when needed, and whisper-quiet operation compared to high-RPM platforms.
• Years of firmware development let Astro accelerate/decelerate big props without oscillation—precision flight, longer missions, lower noise.

SuperLight (SL8) Battery System

• Latest 21700 lithium-ion round-cell chemistry in swappable SL8 packs for long mission runtimes and strong cycle life (Freefly backs SL series packs for 500 cycles).
• OLED onboard display shows critical state-of-charge and health data in the field.
• Open CAN battery protocol feeds live pack data to Astro and logs to Auterion Suite for fleet-wide tracking.
• Integrated USB-C PD port powers accessories or tops off devices between sorties.
• Redundant design—Astro can remain controllable on a single pack if the other faults in flight.

Acceleration Matters

• Flight feel is a function of motor response. During development Freefly drove motors through aggressive acceleration profiles (measured at 40 kHz/s test points) to tune prop adapters and control loops.
• Result: a platform that cruises fast between waypoints, then settles into millimeter-grade nudges for inspection framing—without the twitch of small-prop rigs.
• RTK GPS Precision Hold Astro’s u-blox F9P multi-band GNSS tracks 20+ satellites orbiting ~12,550 miles overhead for rock-solid outdoor positioning, even in wind.
• Add a Freefly RTK base and horizontal accuracy tightens by roughly an order of magnitude for survey-grade work.
• Use Pilot Pro velocity clamps to rip across site at speed, then click into slow mode for sub-0.1 m/s micro-adjustments when lining up a scan, photo, or sample drop.

61 MP Imaging in a Packable Kit

• Pair Astro Max with the Sony LR1 61 MP imager for high-detail mapping, inspection, and documentation—serious resolution in a travel-friendly kit.
• Field teams get >30 min class flights (payload dependent) and centimeter-class positioning when RTK enabled.
• Two compact cases toss easily in a truck; deploy, collect, and move on.

Pilot Pro (Doodle): Control at Your Fingertips

• The industry-favorite pro controller—machined aluminum chassis, field-hard build, and ergonomic control layout built by pilots.
• Discreet, assignable inputs for aircraft + gimbal + payload functions speed up data collection.
• Dual safety kill switches, redundant screens, error reporting, and real-time logging support enterprise SOPs.
  Internal battery plus external hot-swap packs for continuous ops (5 hr internal runtime; ~1 hr recharge).
• Operates sunrise-to-sunset in tough environments: -10°C to 50°C (14°F to 122°F).
• CAD + API resources let integrators adapt Pilot Pro to custom robotics or multi-vehicle fleets.
• Ships in this bundle with Doodle Labs NDAA-compliant RF link.

SuperLight Battery Workflow

• Long flight times + intelligent health monitoring for fleet ops.
• Latest 2170 Li-ion cells; 500-cycle guarantee (SL series).
• OLED status readout; open CAN data bus to Astro & Auterion Suite.
• USB-C PD accessory power in the field.
• Hot-swap and keep the mission moving.

World’s Toughest Drones: Proven, Tested, Trusted

Freefly tests to the value of the sensors you fly—because downtime costs real money.

Structural: chassis load, hinge, prop adapter, blade imbalance, landing gear load.
Environmental: water & dust ingress, cold soak, heat soak.
Electrical: avionics, IMU, LTE modem, short / over-voltage / over-current, RF.
Materials: carbon, aluminum fatigue, high/low temp plastics & deformation.
Flight & Control: 500-hr validation cycles, rate/attitude, high-speed, full-power, aggressive maneuvers, RTK, multiple control link tests (FRX Pro, Herelink, Futaba, Crossfire, PMDDL).
Payload & Software: FLIR, Wiris, ILX-LR1, NextVision, LiDAR, package delivery, app & ecosystem integration.

200+ engineering test plans completed; 1K+ hours of flight & simulation before launch.

Made in the USA | NDAA / Blue Approved

• Designed, built, assembled, and supported in Woodinville, WA.
• Meets NDAA component restrictions; Blue UAS approved for U.S. government adoption pathways.
• Backed by Freefly’s U.S. support, spares, and lifecycle engineering.

Skynode, Mission Control & Auterion Suite

• A customized Skynode module powers each Astro Max, providing LTE connectivity, onboard Linux mission compute, and tight integration with Auterion Mission Control and Cloud Suite.
• Plan missions, push firmware, log battery cycles, manage compliance, and sync fleet data across distributed teams.
• Enterprise-grade data workflows let you scale from a single Astro to hundreds—securely and consistently.

About Freefly Systems

Freefly has been focused on building the world’s most efficient professional drone and filming ecosystem for the last decade. They went from a garage startup to powering the majority of film and tv productions in under 5 years. While their early focus was film and video, they realized along the way their drones could do so much more.

Astro Max

Astro Max is Freefly’s ultimate compact industrial drone platform. This model has special hardware and software making it both NDAA compliant and DIU Blue approved.

Freefly understands the need for quality tools. For more than 10 years, Freefly aircraft have carried high end imagers for industry and high-end productions around the world. It carries valuable payloads in high-pressure situations. We understand the need for flexibility, so Astro’s interface specs are open, making it a flexible and reliable tool to get your new ideas in the air.