NOAA deploys new Altius drone into the eye of Hurricane Ian
On September 28, 2022, the crew of a NOAA WP-3D Orion hurricane hunter aircraft launched a 27-pound uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) into Hurricane Ian. The drone, an Area-I Altius-600, completed a two-hour mission. This was the first time an Altius-600 had been deployed into a hurricane.
![NOAA WP-3D Orion aircraft with model of a small gray uncrewed aircraft](/sites/default/files/styles/news/public/2023-02/Altius%20demonstration%20model%20with%20NOAA%20WP-3D%20Orion%20Miss%20Piggy%20at%20NOAA%20Aircraft%20Operations%20Center%20in%20Lakeland%2C%20FL%20during%20second%20UAS%20flight%20test%20window%20May%2025%2C%202022.jpg?itok=ZSvdTAFN)