SAILDRONE EXPLORER

[The Ocean is Contested. Persistence Wins.]
[
WHAT Explorer DELIVERS
]

Persistent METOC Observations

7m
23 FEET LENGTH
25m
WING HEIGHT
12+
MONTH ENDURANCE

Wind Speed & Direction

AIS Transceiver

Smart Camera Array

Sea Surface Temperature

Sunlight

Air Temperature & Humidity

Satellite Communications

Wave Height and Period

Carbon Dioxide

Barometric Pressure

Chlorophyll

Temperature, Salinity & Dissolved Oxygen

Seafloor Depth

Fish Biomass

Ocean Currents

EXPLORER

A 7-meter unmanned surface vehicle (USV) designed for up to year-long operations in the most remote and challenging ocean environments. Explorer delivers continuous meteorological and oceanographic (METOC) observations critical to weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and operational planning.

Built for missions where crewed vessels cannot safely or economically operate, Explorer provides uninterrupted data collection across vast ocean regions—including inside hurricanes—with zero manning burden.

[
Specs
]

Vehicle
Specifications

Proven Operations in the World's Harshest Environments

The Explorer operates 24/7 for up to 365 continuous days at sea without a support vehicle. No other platform in the world can collect high-resolution, high-quality scientific data above and below the ocean surface with the endurance of the Saildrone Explorer.
LENGTH
7 m
WING HEIGHT
5 m
DRAFT
2 m
PRIMARY PROPULSION
Wind (Saildrone Wing)
AVERAGE SPEED
1 - 3 knots
ENDURANCE
12+ months
RANGE
Unlimited

Improving Hurricane Rapid Intensification Forecasting

The biggest challenge to hurricane forecasting is rapid intensification, which can have a huge impact if a storm intensifies just before landfall.

Mission Details
36

Number of vehicles

109.83 kts

Highest wind speed recorded

14.15 m

Highest significant wave height

Improving Prediction of El Niño Weather Events in the Pacific Ocean

Integrating the Saildrone platform as part of the Tropical Pacific Observation System to monitor weather and climate in the Pacific Ocean.

Mission Details
19

Saildrone Explorers

165,264

Nautical miles sailed

8 years

Ongoing operations

Cross-calibration of CO2 Measurements at Remote Fixed Ocean Stations

A nine-month voyage to connect remote ocean stations from Cabo Verde through the Mediterranean Sea to Trieste, Italy.

Mission Details
15,015 nm

Cumulative distance sailed

274

Days at sea

9

Ocean stations visited

Fastest Atlantic Crossing by a USV

A round-trip Transatlantic crossing demonstrating long-range, long-endurance autonomous metocean data collection.

Mission Details
3,402 nm

Distance each way

75 days

West to east

68 days

East to west

Measuring CO2 Uptake in the Southern Ocean

The world's first autonomous circumnavigation of Antarctica, enabling new key insights into ocean and climate processes.

Mission Details
196

Days at sea

11,879 nm

Total distance sailed

15 m

Height of waves measured

Studying the Impact of Sound on Fish Stock Assessments

Saildrone Explorers are being used to determine if noise from research vessels scatter fish, resulting in inaccurate stock counts.

Mission Details
13,881 nm

Cumulative distance sailed

6

Number of Vehicles

4

Great Lakes