Maybe you remember the movie, Blue Thunder that features a high-tech helicopter with infrared scanners, cameras, etc. To test this concept, the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics developed a miniature camera and communications system for possible installation on rockets, satellites or even our spacecraft in the future. We are pursuing the same idea, although our tiny, remote- controlled test helicopter can only get airborne with a maximum payload of about 800 g.

Stay tuned for the first test flight of Blue Thunder.