Space-Enabled Delivery Drones for the COVID Response

Medical logistics in Scotland is problematic enough in a non-COVID world. The undulating terrain and island geography can often result in slow and infrequent transport of medical products such as pathology samples. The effects of COVID-19 have worsened this, with a decrease in the number of transport modes such as ferries and a higher quantity of medical goods moving within the NHS supply chain. The SEDDCR service aims to enable the delivery of medical supplies and samples by drones enabled by space-based technology. The drone solution is piloted remotely from the Operations Centre, and flies automatically, navigating through pre-set waypoints. The Satcom connectivity between the Ground Control Station (GCS) and the drone is an essential part of the solution as it provides 100% communications coverage over the entire route, which is a crucial safety enabler to scalable drone delivery solutions. Drone delivery can significantly improve the speed and frequency with which medical products move between hospitals and medical practices, all whilst using an unmanned transport system which enables  essential NHS staff to reduce their exposure to COVID-19 through improved social distancing.