Ascent unveils sub-250-gram Helius drone for public safety and industrial users
Ascent Aerosystems has introduced Helius, a 249-gram coaxial nano UAV built for hand launch in under 30 seconds.
The new drone targets law enforcement, emergency response teams and industrial enterprise operators. It is positioned as an NDAA-compliant platform, a notable selling point in the United States as some buyers look for alternatives to Chinese-made systems. Helius extends Ascent’s long-running coaxial design approach, using two counter-rotating rotors stacked on the same axis instead of a conventional quadcopter layout. The aircraft measures 275 x 75 x 53 mm, giving it a compact form factor aimed at rapid field deployment without giving up the durability expected in professional operations.
Helius carries a 12.3-megapixel ultra-low-light camera that can record 4K video at 60 frames per second or Full HD at 240 fps. Rather than a mechanical gimbal, it relies on a digital gimbal for pan, tilt and zoom functions. Ascent says the drone can reach 45 mph, stay in operation for more than 30 minutes per battery charge and use hot-swappable batteries to cut downtime. The aircraft also supports 4G/LTE connectivity for remote control and monitoring through a mobile device, and includes AI-enabled obstacle avoidance and object tracking.
According to the company, Helius can fly in winds of up to 25 mph and operate in temperatures ranging from -20 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius. Its night beacon is visible from as far as 3 miles, while noise output is rated at under 40 dBA from 30 meters away. The drone made its trade show debut earlier this month at Verticon in Dallas and is now available for pre-order at $4,499, with shipments expected to begin in the fourth quarter. If it performs as advertised, Helius could strengthen the market for ultra-light professional UAVs by offering a small, rugged US-made option for missions where fast deployment and regulatory compliance matter.