DJI makes world's 1st successful drone delivery tests on Mt Qomolangma

KATHMANDU/SHENZHEN - DJI has successfully completed the first-ever drone delivery tests on Mount Qomolangma from the Nepali side, paving the way for facilitating high-altitude mountaineering, emergency rescue and environmental protection operations, the Chinese drone maker announced Wednesday.

A DJI FlyCart 30 was used in the April tests, during which three oxygen bottles and 1.5 kg of other supplies were flown from the Base Camp (at an altitude of 5,364 meters) to Camp 1 (at about 6,000 meters) of the world's highest peak, and trash was carried down on the return trip.

The treacherous Khumbu Icefall lies just between the Base Camp and Camp 1, which is covered with ice blocks and considered very dangerous because of frequent avalanches.

"We need to spend 6 to 8 hours each day walking through this icefall," said Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, a climbing guide with Imagine Nepal Trek and Expeditions. "Last year I lost three Sherpas. If we're not lucky, if our time is not right, we lose our life there."

The DJI drone could carry 15 kg of supplies between the camps in 12 minutes for a round trip, day or night, according to the drone maker.

During the tests, FlyCart 30 flew as high as 6,191.8 meters on Mount Qomolangma situated on the border of Nepal and China and could carry a 15 kg payload steadily at an altitude of 6,000 meters.