Photo: TV Tokyo Biz
Japanese new outlet TV Tokyo Biz shared a video of a drone on Thursday, delivering crucial emergency supplies to remote, snowy areas of Chichibu with the operator of the drone connected to SpaceX’s Starlink (via Reddit).
The news comes after the Chichibu area was affected by a landslide this week, causing nearby roads to become impassable.
The news was also covered by Japanese outlet PR Times, which detailed the several communities surrounding the Nakatsugawa area, and how the Starlink-run drone would be able to help get to where only emergency vehicles were permitted.
“In addition, due to the geographical features of the area, mobile communication is unstable, so we will utilize the satellite broadband service “Starlink” to secure au’s mobile communication environment and deliver supplies by remote autonomous flight of drones,” wrote PR Times, as translated from Japanese.
The website also adds that the drone can carry packages of up to 5kg (11 pounds), and will be used to bring daily goods into the region until the weather becomes more manageable. The video shows a cardboard box loaded with food and newspapers being attached to the top of the drone, with a Starlink dish nearby supplying the required internet connection.
SpaceX has recently expanded Starlink to a number of aircraft types and expanded maritime orders, even offering discounts on hardware for customers at sea.
You can watch the short TV news coverage aired by TV Tokyo Biz below, which shows the delivery drone in action.
