Amazon has temporarily halted its Prime Air drone delivery program to implement software updates following a series of crashes at its testing site in Oregon. The company attributed the December crashes to a software malfunction caused by light rain. While Amazon stated that the crashes were not the primary reason for the pause, they declined to specify other issues addressed in the software update.
The company announced on Friday that it was pausing the program to implement software update s to ensure the safety of its fleet. The crashes, which occurred in December at Amazon ’s Pendleton, Ore. testing site, were attributed to a software malfunction caused by light rain.
that the crashes were not the “primary reason” for the pause, the company declined to specify other issues being addressed in the software update.Coors Light becomes 'Mondays Light' for limited time after misspelled adto the FAA to protest Amazon’s drones and their noise levels, which some locals likened to a “giant hive of bees.” The six-propeller model is designed to be lighter, quieter and capable of flying in light rain — a feature now under scrutiny. “We’re currently in the process of making software changes to the drone and will be voluntarily pausing our commercial operations,” Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson told Bloomberg News.The company announced on Friday that it was pausing the program to implement software updates to ensure the safety of its fleet.Employees at the affected drone sites will continue to be paid during the suspension. The decision marks another setback for Amazon’s Prime Air, which has struggled for over a decade to expand its drone delivery service. Despite regulatory milestones, including FAA clearance to fly beyond an operator’s visual line of sight, the program remains in limited trials. Amazon completed its first test flight in Italy last month and is seeking approvals for operations in the UK. In addition to the December crashes, a previously unreported incident in September saw two Amazon drones collide due to operator error.David Carbon, Vice President of Prime Air, talks about the new MK30 Prime Air drone in Sumner, Washington on Oct. 18, 2023.According to an FAA report, the company was testing the MK30’s response to motor failure when a second drone was mistakenly launched on a collision course. The drones crashed midair and spiraled to the ground. Amazon has since revised its operating procedures and training protocols. The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating both the September and December crashes.“The purpose of these tests is to push our aircraft past their limits — it would be irresponsible not to do that,” Stephenson said.The suspension marks another setback for Amazon’s Prime Air, which has struggled for over a decade to expand its drone delivery service.In November 2023, Amazon temporarily halted operations after an MK27-2 drone crashed when its battery failed mid-flight. As Amazon works to refine its technology, it remains uncertain whether the company will be able to overcome its setbacks and make drone delivery a permanent mainstay.Egg prices may rise as much as 20% by end of the year, says expert – here's whyBarack Obama arrives at Donald Trump’s inauguration without MichelleThe company announced on Friday that it was pausing the program to implement software updates to ensure the safety of its fleet.David Carbon, Vice President of Prime Air, talks about the new MK30 Prime Air drone in Sumner, Washington on Oct. 18, 2023.The suspension marks another setback for Amazon’s Prime Air, which has struggled for over a decade to expand its drone delivery service.
DRONE DELIVERY AMAZON SOFTWARE UPDATE SAFETY PRIME AIR
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