May 2025Kitemill began 2025 by setting two new internal operational records, further demonstrating system maturity and progress toward commercial readiness. These achievements—focused on durability and operational efficiency—reflect both technological advances and process optimisation across the organisation.
Durability Record: Longest Operation Without Full Teardown
In Q1, a KM1 kite reached the highest number of flights ever conducted at Kitemill between full inspections and teardowns. This record aligns with a key milestone in the AWE-KM2 project, which targets KM1 VTOL landing as a major technical deliverable. The milestone was met on schedule and underpins the increasing reliability of the current platform.
The kite operates with a full VTOL battery endurance cycle on every flight—providing not only real-world performance validation but also stress testing the system across operational scenarios. The ability to fly extended periods without teardown reflects both mechanical robustness and a maturing system architecture.
Efficiency Record: Highest Quarterly Flight Count
The quarter also saw the highest number of flights performed in a three-month period, enabled by improved automation and leaner workflows. Ground operations have become significantly more efficient, reducing turnaround time and freeing engineering capacity for high-impact tasks.
These gains are supported by advances in automatic failure mitigation, allowing the system to detect anomalies and safely complete missions without operator intervention. Combined with the robustness of the automated landing system, this capability enables unassisted fault handling—further lowering operational burden and preparing the system for scalable deployment. See related article: Kitemill Operational Update: Key Developments and Team Enhancements.
Part of a Larger Picture
These records are not isolated events—they are part of a broader, structured development effort under the European Innovation Council-funded AWE-KM2 project. This initiative supports Kitemill’s path toward commercial airborne wind energy with specific milestones and funding aimed at reducing technological risk. (See full article on the AWE-KM2 project here: AWE-KM2 Takes Flight with European Commission Support.
The progress demonstrated this quarter points clearly to a more scalable, resilient system. As Kitemill moves toward multi-kite deployments and prepares for customer demonstrations, these results serve as a strong validation of both the underlying technology and the team’s operational capabilities.
