Getting Started

How to get set up for a successful and safe first flight!

1. Unboxing and powering on your Astro

  1. Open up the Astro case and you will see the Astro, a quick start guide, and the controller.

  2. Remove the controller from the case, peel off the sticker from the controller screen, and press the power button. Once powered on, select the AMC app to open the mission application.

  3. Pull the Astro out of the case- the landing gear is already extended!

    1. If you bought an Astro Map, the Mapping Payload will be connected to the Dovetail on the bottom of Astro.

  4. Remove the card insert from the top of your Astro- you likely scanned the QR code or followed the URL to get to this page.

  5. Insert 1 SL8 battery into the Astro until you hear two clicks- this means that the battery is electrically connected to the Astro.

  6. Press the button on the battery twice and the Astro will turn on.

Note: Power Astro with only 1 battery if you need the drone powered but are not flying. The Astro has a safety mechanism where it will prevent arming with only 1 battery, making it much safer to have powered on while the propellers are installed.

2. Connecting your Astro to the Internet

Connecting the Astro to the internet allows you to connect to the Auterion Suite, load maps, download software updates, and communicate with your drone

Some Astros ship with a trial T-Mobile LTE SIM card enabled that will allow the Astro to connect to the Internet right out of the box!

To ensure your drone always is connected to the Suite after a day of flying, connect your aircraft to a wifi network. To connect your Astro to the wifi:

  1. Open AMC on your Pilot Pro/Herelink or PC. If using a PC, connect to Astro with a USB-C cable.

  2. Power Astro.

  3. Tap the icon in the top-left of AMC. Navigate to Vehicle Setup > WiFi

  4. Select Station mode, which allows Astro to connect to another wifi network.

  5. Enter the login credentials for your wifi access point.

3. Registering your Astro in the Auterion Suite

  1. In order to get the best Freefly customer support, the Freefly Astro comes with the Auterion Enterprise Suite which is an online fleet management tool that unlocks the superpowers of Astro.

    1. The Suite is where the data of your fleet is collected, analyzed, and presented. You get insights on vehicles, assets, and operations to keep control over your robotics program.

    2. Using the Suite is the quickest and easiest way to get the best Freefly support for your aircraft- you can easily share aircraft logs directly with Freefly customer support in case of issues with just two clicks.

  2. To get started, ensure Astro is powered on

  3. Using a web browser, go to the following address to connect to the Astro: http://astro.local (If you have issues, you can also navigate to 10.41.1.1in your browser)

  4. Connect a USB-C cable from your computer to the IO panel on the underside of the Freefly Astro. Refresh the web page if the Astro dashboard does not appear

    1. If you don't already have an Astro fleet registered in your Auterion Suite, you will need to make a Suite Account before registering the aircraft. Just follow the online prompts from the Suite to make your account.

    2. Once you make your account, then you can claim the aircraft and it will show up in your Suite account

  5. Ensure that you go to the settings for the aircraft and enable the data permissions to allow the Astro to communicate to the Suite

  6. Once complete with the signup process, you should see the Astro unit listed under the "Vehicles" Section on the main dashboard of the Auterion Suite.

The USB C physical connection to the Astro for the initial registration is required for security reasons as the Suite enables location data, live streaming, etc. You can sign up for the Suite and register an Astro in the Suite with just the Serial Number, but you will not be able to enable any data sharing without making a physical connection to the drone.

4. Getting Hardware charged and ready

  1. You should have received an Astro in a case and a separate shipment of batteries (We have to ship separately due to Dangerous Goods shipping requirements.) The chargers are going to be located in the Astro travel case under the battery foam insert.

  2. Connect the Astro batteries to the charger and charge until complete.

  3. Plug in the Pilot Pro (or Herelink controller) and charge until complete.

  4. Check that the Astro firmware and controller firmware are up to date.

5. Go Flying

  1. Read the Flight section of this wiki, and learn how to control Astro.

  2. Watch the First Flight Guide instructional video below.

  • Go Flying! To ensure that the Pilot is using best practices, there is a quick checklist card included in the Astro case.

  • If you have the Mapping Payload, then review how to produce high-quality maps using Astro Map in the Mapping Payload wiki section.

  • Once you have performed your first flights, you can review your flights in the Auterion Suite and if there are any issues, you can easily share the flight logs with our support team straight from the Suite.

  • Now that you have completed your first flight, dive in, learn the details, and put Astro to work!

Pilot skill with Manual Mode is required for Emergency Procedures.

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