Melbourne-based Freespace Operations announced the successful development of “Cooperative Lift” technology that enables multiple Callisto 50 heavy-lift drones to coordinate flight operations while carrying shared loads up to 100 kilograms. The system represents a fourfold increase in lifting capacity compared to individual aircraft operations.
The development addresses technical challenges that have limited previous attempts at coordinated drone lifting operations. The technology has secured the company a multimillion-dollar contract with an international defense customer in the Asia-Pacific region.
Technical Achievement
“Whilst we’re used to seeing drones fly in patterns for light shows, getting them to physically work together to carry weight is a completely different challenge, that we call Cooperative Lift. Universities and leading drone manufacturers worldwide have tried for years to solve Cooperative Lift with limited success,” said Freespace Operations Co-founder Ken King.
The Cooperative Lift system enables drone formations to maintain coordinated flight while managing dynamic loads under varying environmental conditions. According to the company, the technology allows operations in missions previously limited to helicopters or specialized large aircraft platforms.
“Our breakthrough proves it can be done safely, reliably, and at scale. We can now multiply the lifting power of a single drone up to four times while retaining all the flexibility of smaller, modular systems,” King said. “This development will significantly increase the range of tasks that can be assigned to drones in a variety of heavy industry and defence applications. Whether it is carrying supplies to a moving ship, mineral exploration, mining logistics, stringing new power lines, or delivering life-saving supplies in an emergency situation, this breakthrough will mean our customers can get more done with their drone fleets than ever before.”
Company Background and Existing Capabilities
Founded in Melbourne in 2019, Freespace Operations has completed 29 Australian Government and Defence contracts worth more than A$9 million. The company has also executed enterprise projects with energy infrastructure companies including Infravision and Enerven.
The Cooperative Lift development builds on Freespace’s Ship Ops technology, which was demonstrated at Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. During the exercise, Callisto 50 drones performed ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore logistics operations, validating the platform’s performance in maritime environments.
Callisto 50 Platform Integration
The Cooperative Lift system operates on the company’s Callisto 50 heavy-lift drone platform, which combines hardware systems with control software developed by Co-founder and CTO Leonard Hall. The Australian-designed and manufactured platform serves defense, infrastructure, mining, and energy sector applications.
“Cooperative Lift was an incredibly difficult technological challenge, both from a hardware and software perspective. Because the Callisto 50 is already one of the most capable and reliable platforms in its class, we were able to unlock Cooperative Lift by building on a proven system that we knew was capable of being scaled in this way,” Hall said.
Engineering Challenges
Hall described the complexity of coordinating multiple aircraft while managing shared loads. “It might seem intuitive at first, but accounting for all the different variables of flight across two or more drones is no small feat. The movement of the weight, and of course the wind and weather, make it one of the most difficult challenges in drone flight.”
“We are immensely proud to bring this capability online, a world first in our industry,” Hall concluded.
More information is available from Freespace’s website.
About Freespace Operations:
Freespace Operations is an Australian-owned and operated company who design and manufacture world leading heavy lift multirotor drone systems for the Defence, Enterprise and Public Safety sectors. Entirely self-funded and profitable from inception in 2019, the company has provided logistical drone solutions for government and commercial customers around the world and has a mission to pioneer advanced drone systems that reduce cost and risk to human pilots.
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Ian McNabb is a journalist focusing on drone technology and lifestyle content at Dronelife. He is based between Boston and NH and, when not writing, enjoys hiking and Boston area sports.
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