Frequently Asked Questions
Unisphere develops technology-driven solutions for optimizing BVLOS drone operations, focusing on flight planning and weather risk management. Its simulation-based platform automates flight planning and provides weather intelligence along the flight path. It also automatically assesses the impact of weather on energy consumption and operational limitations.
The main user groups are BVLOS drone operators and drone manufacturers. The NOVA platform can be accessed via the front end, as well as via API for easy integration. The NOVA platform is also used for vertiport operations, providing remote weather intelligence.
Unlike weather data, Unisphere translates weather data into actionable insights for drone flight operations instead of simply delivering raw weather data.
The simulation-based flight planning evaluates weather conditions along the flight path and compares them with aircraft limits to ensure safe operations in compliance with SORA and Part 108 requirements. Additionally, it calculates the weather’s impact on energy consumption to ensure the drone will not run out of battery or fuel during the intended flight.
While a dedicated App is not available, our web-based applications are optimized for tablets and mobile use. This means pilots can easily access NOVA while in the field.
Yes, NOVA can be integrated via API into external systems. A prototype API is available and documentation can be found here. To activate API access, please contact our sales team (contact@unisphere.de).
NOVA provides access to more than 20+ weather parameters relevant to safe flight operations. The full list can be viewed in the application when selecting weather parameters for your operational limit sets. In addition to standard parameters such as wind, gusts, temperature or precipitation, we also offer more advanced parameters such as the KP index or general icing.
To determine your drone’s flight envelope (aircraft limit set) and drone capabilities (performance set), refer to the drone’s data sheet provided by the drone manufacturer. If you don’t have the data sheet to hand, we recommend contacting the manufacturer directly for reliable information.
Currently, all data is shown UTC, however, we are reworking our architecture to make the platform more customizable. In Q2 2026, we will release local time zones in NOVA.
The platform is designed to be aircraft agnostic, allowing it to be used in a variety of settings, from small multi-copters over hybrid drones to larger fixed wing aircraft.
We offer a 30-day free trial period for our drone flight planning software NOVA. You can self-subscribe to the platform via our website. There is no credit card needed to sign up.
Some features must be activated through our sales team since they need further explanation or API integration. Please reach out to contact@unisphere.de to receive more about the features and to ensure you can trial everything you need.
Each user can create 5 missions that are active in parallel. The number of users is limited to 10 people.
No, there is no need to act once the trial is ending. There will be no legal obligation resulting from the trial and a subscription will be negotiated afterwards.
Current regulations require pilots to check the weather conditions before take-off and decide whether it is safe to fly. The NOVA platform assists pilots in this safety-critical task by automatically evaluating weather parameters and limits relevant to the flight, thereby supporting the pilot’s take-off decision. Please bear in mind that phenomena such as thunderstorms can develop quickly, so it is important to perform a sanity check like using the rain radar in case such events are forecast.
The regulatory framework based on SORA (adopted by EASA), as well as Part 108 by the FAA, requires proper flight planning. This includes ensuring that drones are only operated under conditions approved by the OEMs. NOVA supports this by automatically evaluating weather conditions along the flight path in relation to the drone limits.
In addition, Part108 is also asking for an energy calculation to ensure the drone will not run out of fuel/battery. With our deep expertise in drone performance and energy modelling, our NOVA platform is capable of providing you detailed insights into weather impact on flight time and energy consumption. This supports drone operators to comply with Part108 requirements and generally increases the flight safety.
Sufficient accurate weather data can be predicted up to a maximum of one week in advance.
Yes, our weather data is available on a global scale. Depending on the region you are operating in, the most accurate model is automatically selected, so you do not have to worry about which weather model to choose when flying your drones in different areas of the world.
We have partnered with leading weather providers that utilize high-resolution weather models combined with downscaling techniques to achieve improved forecast accuracy. This downscaling considers local weather variables, enhancing the precision of our predictions.
Our weather data can achieve resolutions down to 90 meters. However, please note that the resolution may vary depending on the region and available weather model. For details which weather sources are used, reach out to our sales department.
Our Weather forecasts are updated four times a day. This is the same Update rate as most of the large global weather models. In NOVA aware METARs and TAFs are checked every five minutes and directly updated if changes occur.
Our services provide weather information from ground to 20.000m (65,000ft), encompassing the altitudes relevant to drone applications.
In the Nowcasting section, you can access the METAR and TAF data from the three closest airports to your mission location. These data sets are evaluated by meteorologists and include weather station observations from the specific airport. Furthermore, you have the opportunity to integrate your own weather sensors into NOVA. We partnered with different weather sensor providers to simplify the integration.
We do not use hyperlocal weather data. The reason for this is that these technologies are still quite immature, which means that they may work well in one area, but not in another. As we want to provide you with reliable weather data in all areas in which you operate, we do not include hyperlocal modeling in NOVA for the time being. Instead, we recommend that you use a higher threshold to ensure safety during flight operations. When this new technology is ready, we will be happy to offer it to you through our NOVA platform.
Our weather model considers larger-scale terrain contours, such as mountains, but does not account for smaller obstacles like buildings or vegetation.
We use a mixed model approach, where proven weather models are applied depending on the location to gain the highest possible forecast accuracy. This enables high reliability. It is important to keep in mind that forecast/model data alone is not the ultimate source for the take-off decision. To enhance current weather situational awareness, utilizing data from precipitation radar, lightning detection systems, or sensors (such as METAR reports from airports or proprietary sensors) is advised.
Unisphere develops technology-driven solutions for optimizing BVLOS drone operations, focusing on flight planning and weather risk management. Its simulation-based platform automates flight planning and provides weather intelligence along the flight path. It also automatically assesses the impact of weather on energy consumption and operational limitations.
The main user groups are BVLOS drone operators and drone manufacturers. The NOVA platform can be accessed via the front end, as well as via API for easy integration. The NOVA platform is also used for vertiport operations, providing remote weather intelligence.
Unlike weather data, Unisphere translates weather data into actionable insights for drone flight operations instead of simply delivering raw weather data.
The simulation-based flight planning evaluates weather conditions along the flight path and compares them with aircraft limits to ensure safe operations in compliance with SORA and Part 108 requirements. Additionally, it calculates the weather’s impact on energy consumption to ensure the drone will not run out of battery or fuel during the intended flight.
While a dedicated App is not available, our web-based applications are optimized for tablets and mobile use. This means pilots can easily access NOVA while in the field.
Yes, NOVA can be integrated via API into external systems. A prototype API is available and documentation can be found here. To activate API access, please contact our sales team (contact@unisphere.de).
NOVA provides access to more than 20+ weather parameters relevant to safe flight operations. The full list can be viewed in the application when selecting weather parameters for your operational limit sets. In addition to standard parameters such as wind, gusts, temperature or precipitation, we also offer more advanced parameters such as the KP index or general icing.
To determine your drone’s flight envelope (aircraft limit set) and drone capabilities (performance set), refer to the drone’s data sheet provided by the drone manufacturer. If you don’t have the data sheet to hand, we recommend contacting the manufacturer directly for reliable information.
Currently, all data is shown UTC, however, we are reworking our architecture to make the platform more customizable. In Q2 2026, we will release local time zones in NOVA.
The platform is designed to be aircraft agnostic, allowing it to be used in a variety of settings, from small multi-copters over hybrid drones to larger fixed wing aircraft.
We offer a 30-day free trial period for our drone flight planning software NOVA. You can self-subscribe to the platform via our website. There is no credit card needed to sign up.
Some features must be activated through our sales team since they need further explanation or API integration. Please reach out to contact@unisphere.de to receive more about the features and to ensure you can trial everything you need.
Each user can create 5 missions that are active in parallel. The number of users is limited to 10 people.
No, there is no need to act once the trial is ending. There will be no legal obligation resulting from the trial and a subscription will be negotiated afterwards.
Current regulations require pilots to check the weather conditions before take-off and decide whether it is safe to fly. The NOVA platform assists pilots in this safety-critical task by automatically evaluating weather parameters and limits relevant to the flight, thereby supporting the pilot’s take-off decision. Please bear in mind that phenomena such as thunderstorms can develop quickly, so it is important to perform a sanity check like using the rain radar in case such events are forecast.
The regulatory framework based on SORA (adopted by EASA), as well as Part 108 by the FAA, requires proper flight planning. This includes ensuring that drones are only operated under conditions approved by the OEMs. NOVA supports this by automatically evaluating weather conditions along the flight path in relation to the drone limits.
In addition, Part108 is also asking for an energy calculation to ensure the drone will not run out of fuel/battery. With our deep expertise in drone performance and energy modelling, our NOVA platform is capable of providing you detailed insights into weather impact on flight time and energy consumption. This supports drone operators to comply with Part108 requirements and generally increases the flight safety.
Sufficient accurate weather data can be predicted up to a maximum of one week in advance.
Yes, our weather data is available on a global scale. Depending on the region you are operating in, the most accurate model is automatically selected, so you do not have to worry about which weather model to choose when flying your drones in different areas of the world.
We have partnered with leading weather providers that utilize high-resolution weather models combined with downscaling techniques to achieve improved forecast accuracy. This downscaling considers local weather variables, enhancing the precision of our predictions.
Our weather data can achieve resolutions down to 90 meters. However, please note that the resolution may vary depending on the region and available weather model. For details which weather sources are used, reach out to our sales department.
Our Weather forecasts are updated four times a day. This is the same Update rate as most of the large global weather models. In NOVA aware METARs and TAFs are checked every five minutes and directly updated if changes occur.
Our services provide weather information from ground to 20.000m (65,000ft), encompassing the altitudes relevant to drone applications.
In the Nowcasting section, you can access the METAR and TAF data from the three closest airports to your mission location. These data sets are evaluated by meteorologists and include weather station observations from the specific airport. Furthermore, you have the opportunity to integrate your own weather sensors into NOVA. We partnered with different weather sensor providers to simplify the integration.
We do not use hyperlocal weather data. The reason for this is that these technologies are still quite immature, which means that they may work well in one area, but not in another. As we want to provide you with reliable weather data in all areas in which you operate, we do not include hyperlocal modeling in NOVA for the time being. Instead, we recommend that you use a higher threshold to ensure safety during flight operations. When this new technology is ready, we will be happy to offer it to you through our NOVA platform.
Our weather model considers larger-scale terrain contours, such as mountains, but does not account for smaller obstacles like buildings or vegetation.
We use a mixed model approach, where proven weather models are applied depending on the location to gain the highest possible forecast accuracy. This enables high reliability. It is important to keep in mind that forecast/model data alone is not the ultimate source for the take-off decision. To enhance current weather situational awareness, utilizing data from precipitation radar, lightning detection systems, or sensors (such as METAR reports from airports or proprietary sensors) is advised.
