Drone News: FCC Approval For Avata 360, NASA Drone Testing, Texas Clarifies Drone Law

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week, DJI gets FCC approval for a new Avata 360, NASA is testing new drone navigation software in Death Valley for future Mars missions, and Texas clarifies that using drones for fishing is illegal under federal law. Let's get to it.

DJI just managed to get another product through the FCC certification process, the rumored Avata 360. The FCC filing shows two model numbers, which usually hints at different bundles or battery options. This approval comes right as the clock is ticking on a potential US ban, so DJI is clearly pushing to get this out the door. It also comes on the heels of the AntiGravity A1 launch this week, meaning the A1 is now available for purchase! Early leaks point to some really impressive specs for the Avata360. We’re talking dual 1/1.1-inch sensors, native 8K 360-degree video at 50 frames per second. It also looks like it will do super-smooth 4K FPV video at 120 frames per second. The filing also mentions a 38.67 watt-hour battery, which may give it a longer flight time than the Avata 2. It will also likely feature O4 transmission and improved obstacle sensing.Next, a really cool story from NASA. The agency has been testing drones in Death Valley to prepare for future flights on Mars. If you remember, the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars was a huge success, but it ran into problems when flying over smooth, featureless terrain like sand dunes. Its navigation system relied on tracking visual features on the ground, and when there were none, it got confused. So, to solve this for future missions, a team from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory went to the hottest, driest place on Earth to test new navigation software.The project is called Extended Robust Aerial Autonomy, and the goal is to create drones that can fly farther and adapt to unpredictable terrain without a human in the loop. The team brought three research drones to Death Valley and flew them in temperatures over 113 degrees Fahrenheit, or 45 degrees Celsius. They tested how different camera filters helped the drones track the ground and how new landing algorithms performed in cluttered areas. This research is so important that the National Park Service granted them only the third research drone permit ever issued for Death Valley. The team is also working on other cool projects, like a robot dog called LASSIE M that can "feel" the ground to adjust its walk, and a huge, winged aircraft called the Mars Electric Reusable Flyer.Last up, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has issued guidance clarifying that using a drone for fishing is illegal. Now, this isn't a new Texas law. Instead, they are clarifying how a long-standing federal law, the Airborne Hunting Act, applies to drones. The law is officially known as Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 19.11, and it prohibits using an aircraft to take or attempt to take wildlife.How does this apply to drone fishing? Well, the federal regulations define "aircraft" as any device used for flight in the air, which definitely includes our drones. The definition of "wildlife" includes fish, and the term "take" means to pursue, hunt, capture, or even *attempt* to do so. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, using a drone to carry and drop your bait counts as "aiding in the act of fishing," which is prohibited under the Act. This has been a popular technique for surf and bank fishermen to get their lines out past the breakers, but it's officially off-limits. That’s all for this week, and be sure to check out Post Flight, our Premium community show where we share our uncensored opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube.https://dronedj.com/2025/11/28/dji-avata-360-drone-fcc/https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20251208ahttps://dronexl.co/2025/12/08/nasa-drones-death-valley-mars-flights/