Impossible Aerospace US-1 electric drone promises two-hour flights

Drones are all over the place but as prevalent, annoying, or dangerous they may be, they are severely limited by the laws of physics which, in turn, severely limits their flying time. Despite its name, Impossible Aerospace is making the impossible possible with its first product, the Impossible US-1 drone. Because while it runs on purely electric power, the company promises flying times of up to two hours, with payloads that reach up to 2 kilos.

Most of the drones we see flying around in commercial spaces are also powered by batteries but even the most popular and biggest of them have to land and recharge after 25 minutes. Heavy-duty drones, in contrast, fly longer but rely on gasoline for fuel. The future, however, is electric, as car makers claim, so Impossible Aero set out to bridge that divide.

The trick was to think first about the battery and everything else after, the opposite of conventional drone design. The lithium batteries practically make up the primary structure of the drone, solving the problem of where to place that much battery cells. As CEO Spencer Gore put it, the US-1 is more a flying battery than an aircraft.

The name it chose for its first drone is both patriotic and political. The drones are guaranteed to be engineered and assembled entirely in the USA, easing privacy and national security fears. This could make the US-1 drones more attractive to government customers.

Impossible Aerospace has been selling its first units to firefighters, rescuers, and law enforcers across the country. Now it's making the drones available for the public as well. A basic US-1 electric drone will set you back $7,500 while one with Thermal sensors pushes the price up to $9,500. Delivery is expected to begin next quarter.