Freefly Astro Max + Pilot Pro (Herelink RF)

Freefly Astro Max + Pilot Pro (Herelink RF) is the same low-noise, long-endurance Astro platform trusted by industrial teams worldwide—now bundled with the open-architecture Herelink 1.1 digital link for seamless HD video, telemetry, and control on a single 2.4 GHz channel. Astro Max lifts 61 MP mapping sensors, thermal/dual-thermal payloads, LiDAR, or custom tools while delivering up to 39 minutes of flight time and centimeter-level RTK positioning via Auterion’s enterprise software stack.

Designed, built, crash-tested, repaired, and supported in Woodinville, Washington, Astro Max has logged hundreds of thousands of flight hours across mapping, inspection, utilities, public safety, and cinematography missions. With an open payload bus, a proven flight-control stack, and field-serviceable components, Astro gives you professional-grade data without the bulk of a heavy-lift rig or the cost of a manned platform.

The Strong, Silent Type

• 21-inch folding props on a 14-inch body—≈96 % of the planform is rotor disc, giving exceptional lift efficiency and whisper-quiet acoustics.
• Custom motor-drive firmware lets big props spool up or brake instantly for precise control and stable holds in gusty wind.
• Low RPM + large blades = longer hover time over the target, cleaner imagery, and less pilot fatigue.

Open & Productive Ecosystem

• Part of Freefly’s 0–35 lb payload family—shared controllers, quick-releases, gimbals, and batteries protect your long-term investment.
• Smart Dovetail payload bus exposes power, MAVLink, Ethernet, serial, and mechanical hardpoints for rapid integration.
• Thousands of Freefly aircraft in service; hundreds of thousands of flight hours validate the ecosystem’s reliability.

Mission-Ready Commercial Platform

• Built and supported in the USA for fast turnaround on spares, repairs, and engineering feedback.
• Pilot Pro (Herelink) controller ships with Herelink 1.1—an open, non-NDAA RF link that delivers 1080 p video + command & control up to ~12 km LOS.
• RTK positioning, optional LTE cloud connectivity (U.S. only), onboard Linux mission computer, and Auterion OS tie every flight into enterprise fleet analytics.

Astro Tech

Astro Max packs cutting-edge engineering into a travel-friendly footprint. From prop physics to battery analytics, every subsystem is tuned for professional uptime—no demo-only features here.

Props to the Props

• Huge 21-inch blades on a compact frame mean serious lift without the noise of high-RPM rigs.
• Years of controller development allow rapid prop accel/decel without oscillation—precision flight, longer missions, lower noise.

SuperLight (SL8) Battery System

• 21700 Li-ion cells deliver long runtimes and a 500-cycle guarantee.
• OLED screen plus CAN-bus BMS report health, cycles, and remaining capacity to Astro and Auterion Suite.
• USB-C PD port powers field devices; redundant design lets Astro remain controllable on a single pack in an emergency.

Acceleration Matters

• Motor slew rates tested to 40 kHz/s for agile stick response and centimeter-scale nudges in inspection work.
• u-blox F9P multi-band RTK locks onto 20+ satellites; add a Freefly base to tighten horizontal accuracy 10× for survey-grade deliverables.
• Pilot Pro velocity clamps let you sprint to the job, then drop to 0.1 m/s micro-adjustments with a single switch.

61 MP Imaging in a Packable Kit

• Sony LR1 61 MP sensor + Astro Max = high-detail photogrammetry or inspection in two carry-on-sized cases.
• >30-minute flights (payload-dependent) with centimeter-class RTK positioning.
• Deploy, capture, and move on—perfect for mobile crews and remote sites.

Capture Every Detail: Modular Payload Choices

User-selectable payload configs let you scale capability to the mission while staying inside a Blue / NDAA pipeline.

LR1 Solo

high-res mapping & inspection.

LR1 + Thermal

add temperature insight to visual data.

LR1 + Dual Thermal

wide + narrow thermal perspectives for search & diagnostics.

LR1 + Laser Range Finder

geo-distance confirmation & target marking.

LR1 + Thermal + LRF

full-spectrum situational awareness from a compact platform.

Astro Is Adaptable

MAPPING | Sony LR1 – 61 MP stills for photogrammetry & detail capture.

THERMAL | LR1 + Thermal – visual + heat signatures for inspection & public safety.

LiDAR | Emesent Hovermap – autonomy & point clouds in GPS-denied spaces.

CUSTOM | Smart Dovetail – integrate robotics, sensors, drop kits, ignition, seeding, tracking tags, or cargo tools using standard power & data buses.

16+ validated payloads and growing—Freefly and partners expand mission sets continuously.

Pilot Pro (Herelink): Control at Your Fingertips

• Machined-aluminum chassis with ergonomic rockers and assignable switches built by pilots for pilots.
• Herelink 1.1 transceiver streams 1080 p video and telemetry on 2.4 GHz with sub-100 ms latency.
• Dual kill-switches, redundant screens, error logging, and 5 hr internal runtime; add hot-swap packs for limitless ops.
• -10 °C to 50 °C (14 °F to 122 °F) operating window keeps you flying year-round.
• Open CAD & API resources let integrators tie Pilot Pro into custom robotics systems.

SuperLight Battery Workflow

• Long flights plus real-time fleet health data.
• 500-cycle guarantee on SL-series packs.
• OLED readout + CAN telemetry; USB-C PD accessory power.
• Hot-swap packs and stay in the air all day.

World’s Toughest Drones: Proven & Tested

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.

Made in the USA

• Designed, assembled, and supported in Woodinville, WA.
• U.S.-based spares, repairs, and engineering support keep downtime low.

Skynode, Mission Control & Auterion Suite

• On-board Skynode mission computer with Linux, LTE (U.S. only), and secure AuterionOS.
• Plan, execute, log, and audit flights across your fleet with Auterion Mission Control & Cloud Suite.
• Scale from one Astro to hundreds using the same workflows and data pipelines.

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.

Each Astro Base includes the the basis of your Mapping drone kit:

1. Astro Max Drone
   
   1. Simple tools, props, landing gear and some spare bits
      
   2. NDAA and DIU approved firmware
      
2. Freefly Pilot Pro controller
   
   1. Doodle Labs RF, NDAA and DIU Blue 2.4 GHz radio
      
3. Compact Travel Case
   
   1. Fits Astro (folded), 1 pair of batteries/chargers and the LR1 Payload
      
   2. Telescoping handle and fixed wheels

*Astro needs a minimum of 2 SL8 Batteries and 2 SL8 Chargers to fly, which are not included in this kit and need to be purchased separately. The payload is also excluded.

Astro is designed and assembled in USA.

Notes

• Pilot skill with Manual Mode is required for Emergency Procedures. Learn more
  
• Astro uses two Freefly SL8-Air batteries per flight (not included in this kit). We recommend 4 SL8 batteries and 2 SL8 Fast Chargers to get flying.
  
• Works with RTK GPS Ground Station, through a user-supplied ground station computer (optional)
  
• LTE modem works in the United States only. Learn more

Astro Max

Pilot Pro Controller

Astro Compact Travel Case

SL8-Air Batteries*

SL8 Fast Charger*

*Batteries and chargers required for flight are sold separately.

(1) Astro Compact Travel Case
(1) Astro Max with folding landing gear, props, and Astro Isolator
(1) Hex Driver 1.5 mm
(1) Hex Driver 2 mm
(1) Hex Driver 2.5 mm
(4) Proptectors
(1) Spare Proptector
(4) Spare Isolators
(2) Rubber Hole Grommets
(1) Pilot Pro Controller
(1) Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5 (pre-configured, installed in controller)
(1) Herelink 1.1 RF Module (2.4 GHz)
(1) Custom Padded Neck Strap

*Batteries and chargers required for flight are not included; sold separately.

RGB Sensors

LR1 Payload
  • Sigma 24 mm f/3.5 (included with LR1 payload)
  • Sony FE 35 mm f/2.8
  • Sony FE 50 mm f/1.8
  • Samyang 75 mm f/1.8
Sentera 65R Sensor
Mapping Payload (Sony A7R IV)

Thermal Sensors

LR1 Thermal Upgrade*
Sentera 6X Thermal Sensor
Sentera 6X Thermal Pro
Wiris Pro Payload (thermal / zoom)

Multispectral Sensors

Sentera 6X Multispectral Sensor

Distance / Ranging

LR1 Laser Range Finder Upgrade*

LiDAR

Emesent Hovermap ST-X

RTK

RTK GPS Ground Station (via user-supplied base-station computer)

For the latest list of sensors and payloads that have been integrated or flown on Astro, visit the Freefly Drone Payloads page and filter by “Astro.”

*The LR1 Laser Range Finder Upgrade (910-00841) and LR1 Thermal Upgrade (910-00840) are modules for the LR1 Payload and cannot be used on Astro without an LR1 installed.

Introducing – Astro Max

Astro Max – Marine Biology Case Study

Astro Max – OGI Case Study

Pilot Pro – Overview 

What flight controller does Astro use?
Astro runs a Freefly-specified Auterion Skynode (Pixhawk-based) mission computer that adds LTE, RTK and Auterion Mission Control integration.

What size props does Astro have?
Both Astro and Astro Max fly on slow-turning, folding 21-inch carbon-fiber propellers for maximum lift efficiency and low acoustic signature.

Can I order spare parts online for Astro?
Yes. Props, arms, isolators, batteries, landing-gear legs and more are stocked in the Freefly Store’s “Spare Parts” section, and Advexure can special-order items that aren’t listed.

Do you offer training for Astro?
Freefly Flight School provides remote and on-site courses covering setup, flight fundamentals, mapping workflows, payload integration and maintenance.

How much does Astro Max cost?
The NDAA/Blue bundle is approximately US $26 000 (July 2025). Contact Advexure for current pricing and promotions.

Where is the Pilot Pro controller manufactured?
Pilot Pro is machined, assembled and tested at Freefly’s Woodinville, WA facility; the NDAA/Blue version ships with a Singapore-made Doodle Labs radio.

Will Astro directly geotag image files?
Yes. When GPS logging is enabled, Astro writes full EXIF geotags (latitude, longitude, altitude and yaw) to every image captured by supported payloads.

Does Astro support dual operators?
Not at this time; the system is optimized for single-operator workflows. Dual-operator capability is on Freefly’s development roadmap.

How small does Astro fold for storage/travel?
With booms and landing gear folded, Astro Max packs to roughly 15.3 in × 15.3 in × 7 in (390 mm × 390 mm × 178 mm) and fits the included SKB rolling case.

What mapping software does Astro support?
Mission planning: Auterion Mission Control (pre-installed) and Esri SiteScan. Data processing: SiteScan, Pix4D, Agisoft Metashape and other major photogrammetry suites.

How much do Astro and Astro Max weigh?
Airframe only (no batteries or payload): Astro — 7.03 lb / 3.19 kg; Astro Max — 7.77 lb / 3.52 kg.

How long can Astro or Astro Max fly?
Two SL8-Air batteries deliver up to 39 min light-ship, 28 min with an LR1 payload, and 18 min at the 6.6 lb / 3 kg max payload for Astro Max.

Is the video transmitter integrated?
Yes. The Doodle Labs (NDAA/Blue) or legacy Herelink link carries encrypted 1080 p video, telemetry and control on a single RF channel.

What cameras/sensors does Astro support?
Native options include Sony LR1 (with Thermal and Laser upgrades), Sony A7R IV mapping pod, Wiris Pro thermal/zoom, Sentera 65R & 6X sensors, Emesent Hovermap ST-X LiDAR and custom payloads via the Smart Dovetail bus.

What controller works with Astro?
Astro Max ships with Pilot Pro. Legacy Astro units can alternatively use a Herelink ground station running Freefly firmware.

What is the maximum payload capacity of Astro?
Astro Max lifts up to 6.6 lb / 3 kg. Legacy Astro supports 3.3 lb / 1.5 kg.

Is Astro CE certified?
Certification is pending. Until CE marking is obtained, EU operators can fly Astro under EASA Open Category A3.

How do I sign up for updates about my gear?
Register your email through the product-registration form on Freefly's Support portal to receive firmware releases and service bulletins.

How can I get critical updates about Freefly products?
Freefly posts service bulletins on the Support portal and emails all registered owners when safety-critical notices are released.

Flying Sun FAQ
A dedicated FAQ for Freefly’s Flying Sun drone-mounted floodlights is available in the Support portal and updated as the product line expands.

Where can I view sample data from Astro?
Freefly hosts LR1 photogrammetry, thermal and LiDAR sample datasets on Google Drive and Esri SiteScan; links are provided in the Astro Support page.

How fast do the Astro batteries charge?
A single SL8-Air pack charges from empty to 100 % in about 90 minutes on the SL8 Fast Charger.

What does “smart” battery mean?
SuperLight batteries include an onboard CAN-bus BMS, OLED status screen and USB-C PD port, and report health, cycles and remaining capacity to Astro and Auterion Suite.

Do you have a multi-bay SL charger?
A four-position rack charger is in development; currently each SL8 Fast Charger handles one pack, and Astro bundles ship with two chargers for continuous operations.

How do the SL8-Air batteries work with Astro?
Astro draws power from two SL8-Air packs in parallel. Packs can be hot-swapped on the ground, and the aircraft can remain controllable on a single pack in an emergency.

How long can Astro or Astro Max fly?
See the flight-time answer above; endurance depends on payload weight and environmental conditions.