Overview
ISO 24356:2022 - General requirements for tethered unmanned aircraft systems (tUAS) - defines general and manufacturing requirements for tethered unmanned aircraft systems, including heavier‑than‑air tethered unmanned aircraft (tUA) that receive power from ground equipment via a tether. The standard addresses tUAS where the tether supplies electrical power and provides mechanical restraint, and it is applicable to development, manufacturing, industrial applications and delivery of tUAS.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO 24356:2022 covers system architecture, components, safety and documentation. Major technical topics include:
- System composition: minimum components required for a tUAS - tUA (airframe, avionics, propulsion, flight control), command & control link (wireless or wired), communications, mission payloads, remote pilot station (RPS), and ground support equipment (ground power, tethering cable, winches).
- Design for long‑duration reliability: use of proven technologies, simplified designs, minimized power consumption, fault‑tolerant circuits/software, and selection of long‑life components. Includes requirement for high‑precision positioning (e.g., GNSS) and signal‑quality alerts.
- Operator’s manual requirements: mandatory publication of system performance (climb/descent speeds, hover/operational heights, flight time, winch coiling times, dimensions), weight limits (tether, payload, max take‑off weight), electrical characteristics (rated/max power, onboard voltages/currents, emergency power durations) and environmental/storage limits.
- Airborne monitoring system: monitoring functions, monitoring software and wireless data modules for in‑flight telemetry and diagnostics.
- Propulsion and electrical systems: airborne and ground electrical system requirements and interactions with propulsion.
- Power transportation system: specifications and expectations for tethering cables and winches (characteristics, connectors, functional elements, environmental adaptability).
- Remote pilot station (RPS) and test/verification: requirements for control stations and testing procedures to verify performance and safety.
Applications and who uses the standard
ISO 24356:2022 is intended for:
- Manufacturers and system integrators designing or producing tethered unmanned aircraft systems.
- Aerospace and industrial engineering teams developing tUAS for persistent surveillance, communications relay, lighting, or temporary power/monitoring applications.
- Procurement, compliance and quality assurance professionals evaluating tUAS specifications and operator documentation.
- Test laboratories and certification bodies performing verification and acceptance testing.
Practical applications include stationary or semi‑stationary missions requiring long endurance where continuous power via a tethering cable is beneficial (e.g., event surveillance, border security, emergency communications, and industrial site monitoring).
Related standards
ISO 24356 references and complements other standards, notably:
Keywords: ISO 24356:2022, tethered unmanned aircraft systems, tUAS, tethered unmanned aircraft, tethering cable, winch, operator’s manual, remote pilot station, GNSS.