Technical Specs and Lenses

Performance

The Mapping Payload's high pixel count allows you to cover a large amount of area quickly at low resolution, or collect very high-resolution imagery at lower altitudes. Approximate GSD, coverage per flight, and expected altitude are listed below for reference. This is based on a 70% forward and 65% side overlap, single pass (no crosshatch).

A single Astro flight with the Mapping Payload is typically 25 minutes. The exact time depends on the survey area's geometry, the number of turns required, and the flight speed, as well as environmental factors such as wind speed and direction. Note that the time presented in AMC is an estimate, and not adding return or transit waypoints may affect its calculation. A good rule of thumb is to aim for an AMC-calculated flight duration of 22-23 minutes. This should allow the flight to complete and return before hitting the battery reserve.

Camera Body

Sony Alpha 7R IVA (model ILCE7RM4A/B)

Weight

Astro's maximum payload weight is 1500 grams.

Gimbal

Lenses

We're currently in the process of testing more lenses, but we have no announcement for when we'll give an official endorsement.

Lens selection in AMC only matters for mission planning calculations (overlap, photo trigger, etc) and for infinity focus to work properly.

If you plan a mission with a non-standard lens, make sure that the correct lens is selected in the Survey section of the Plan screen. If your lens isn't on the dropdown, you can enter the details manually by selecting Custom Camera instead of a specific lens.

When changing lenses, select your lens from the Focal Length dropdown in Camera Settings found in the camera settings.

If your lens isn't on the dropdown, pick any lens from that menu and use auto-focus.