Vixos

Vixos is a developer of innovative and ultra-reliable flight termination systems that are designed to make drone operations safer and more accessible, accelerating the integration of UAS into civilian airspaces.

Backed by deep knowledge of EU and global regulations and extensive experience in drone electronic hardware development, the Beyond product family enables compliance with aviation authorities worldwide and unlocks long-range, BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) and higher-risk UAS missions.

Beyond is designed to meet the stringent containment requirements of the SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) 2.5 framework, ensuring the highest safety standards. Vixos also provides users with full documentation, recommendations for operational procedures, and arguments for compliance.

Beyond Flight Termination Systems

Independent satellite-linked safety technology for advanced drone operations

Beyond is a complete flight termination architecture consisting of an airborne termination unit, an operator base station and an Iridium SATCOM link between them. The airborne device is installed between the autopilot and key UAS subsystems such as servos, electronic speed controllers or engine control units.

Hardware control signals pass through the device during normal flight. When termination is activated, the unit can interrupt these signals or replace them with preconfigured alternatives that execute the required response. This arrangement creates a termination path that remains separate from the drone’s normal command-and-control system, providing a reliable means of stopping the aircraft before it leaves its approved operational volume.

Iridium communications between the airborne and ground units enable the system to work no matter the distance between the aircraft and operator, providing unlimited range.

Learn more: How the Beyond flight termination system works

Beyond 12

Compact satellite-enabled flight termination system for individual drones

Beyond 12 is a compact airborne flight termination system that can be easily integrated into virtually any drones that use CAN or PWM signals for flight control. The unit is installed between the autopilot and the actuators used to carry out the termination action, and allows up to four signals to be interrupted or replaced, with an additional four output signals available during termination.

The unit’s integrated Iridium modem communicates directly with the Beyond Base station, creating an independent satellite-based path for manual termination commands. An optional secondary-link interface allows a serial TTL radio to be connected between Beyond 12 and Beyond Base.

For applications requiring an additional communications path, Beyond 12 is also available with an integrated radio. This version incorporates three SMA antenna connectors and is only 10 mm taller than the standard unit, maintaining a compact form factor while providing the additional radio capability.

Measuring 69 x 49.2 x 23.5 mm and weighing just 98 g, the IP68-rated Beyond 12 is ideal for SWaP-limited platforms.

Beyond Base Single

Portable operator control unit for manual flight termination

Beyond Base Single is the handheld ground component of the Beyond architecture installation. The highly portable unit can be carried around the neck, and enables the operator to activate flight termination through a sequence of button presses that can be completed quickly during an emergency.

The self-contained unit incorporates an Iridium modem and antenna and only needs to be held upright when the satellite link is used to send the command. A series of front-panel LEDs provides clear indications of battery status, satellite connectivity and the regular heartbeat messages received from Beyond 12, giving the operator an immediate view of the system’s readiness.

The integrated 1090 mAh battery provides more than eight hours of operation, covering a full working flight day, and can be recharged from a standard 5 V USB-C supply. An optional secondary-link M8 connection for an external radio can be provided, and Beyond Base can also be augmented with an internal radio.

Beyond 22

Automated and multi-aircraft flight termination for advanced UAS operations

Currently under development, Beyond 22 is an advanced flight termination system for operations requiring greater automation or multi-drone control.

Up to twelve Beyond 22 units can be controlled via the same Beyond Base multi, enabling a single operator to oversee a fleet of drones. An integrated GNSS receiver enables the system to execute automated termination according to geofencing boundaries. Beyond 22 can also report the aircraft’s position if the normal telemetry link is lost, helping the operator track the drone during a wider avionics or communications failure.

Beyond 22 provides eight configurable PWM or digital switching channels. Two of these signals can be used to filter traffic on a CAN bus, removing selected messages and inserting new commands to execute termination.