A Weather Eye Over GrandSKY

(Web screenshot courtesy of the University of North Dakota)

(By John D. Odegard.) – A research team from the University of North Dakota Department of Atmospheric Sciences recently participated in an intensive field campaign at GrandSKY, the nation’s first commercial uncrewed aircraft systems aviation park, to conduct weather sensing using the Meteodrone.

This collaboration between UND and GrandSKY consolidates UND’s partnership with GrandSKY and represents a major step forward in the integration of drone-based atmospheric sensing into operational UAS environments, supporting both aviation safety and scientific advancement.

Strategically located on the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, GrandSKY is the first and only fully operational commercial unmanned aerial systems research and development park in the United States.

The UND team was led by Mounir Chrit, assistant research professor and principal investigator, alongside Marwa Majdi, assistant research professor and co-investigator. The campaign also included Claiborne Wooton, a graduate student who’s working on both the scientific and operational dimensions of the project.