ISO 24356-2022 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 24356:2022 — General requirements for tethered unmanned aircraft systems. This international standard defines general and manufacturing requirements for tethered unmanned aircraft systems (tUAS), including heavier-than-air tethered unmanned aircraft powered from ground equipment, and for tethering equipment such as winches and cables when relevant.

Abstract

ISO 24356:2022 specifies safety, design and manufacture requirements applicable to tethered unmanned aircraft systems intended to be powered through a tether and mechanically restrained by it. It addresses system-level requirements covering airborne and ground equipment, power-transport tethers, mechanical restraint elements, monitoring and control functions, operator documentation and verification/testing activities required for industrial and commercial use of tUAS.

General information

• Status: Published
• Publication date: 1 August 2022
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• ICS / categories: 49.020 (Aircraft and space vehicles — general)
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2022)
• Number of pages: 12

Scope

This standard applies to the development, manufacturing, delivery and industrial application of tethered unmanned aircraft systems (tUAS) whose tether is intended both to supply electrical power to the airborne element and to provide mechanical restraint. It covers heavier-than-air tethered unmanned aircraft (tUA) powered from ground equipment, and contains clauses relevant to tethering equipment (for example winches, reels and power/data cables). Systems that are only mechanically restrained (i.e., do not receive power via the tether) are primarily addressed by related UAS standards, but relevant tethering equipment requirements in ISO 24356:2022 still apply where appropriate.

Key topics and requirements

• General system design and manufacturing requirements for tUAS (reliability, maintainability, documentation).
• Electrical power delivery via tether: ratings, connectors, insulation, grounding and protection against overloads and faults.
• Mechanical tether characteristics: strength, fatigue, abrasion resistance, environmental resistance and safe attachment points.
• Winch/reel and tether-management equipment: functional requirements, braking, end-of-line protection and safe deployment/retrieval procedures.
• Onboard and ground monitoring, telemetry and diagnostics for power, tether integrity and system status.
• Operational and safety requirements for remote pilot stations and control systems, including emergency procedures and failure modes.
• Marking, labelling and operator documentation (performance data, limits, installation and maintenance instructions).
• Test, verification and validation activities to demonstrate conformity with the standard (factory and acceptance tests).
• Environmental and storage limits for airborne and ground components (temperature, humidity, corrosion resistance).

Typical use and users

ISO 24356:2022 is used by manufacturers and designers of tethered unmanned aircraft systems, system integrators, test and certification laboratories, regulatory and civil aviation authorities when developing requirements or certification criteria, procurement teams specifying tUAS for sustained operations, and operators deploying tethered systems for surveillance, communications, lighting, or persistent sensing applications in industrial, public safety and infrastructure contexts.

Related standards

Closely related documents include the ISO series for unmanned aircraft systems (for example ISO 21384 series for UAS), and national adoptions of ISO 24356 (for example BS ISO 24356:2022). ISO/TC 20/SC 16 (Unmanned aircraft systems) is the technical committee responsible for this work. Users should also consider applicable national aviation regulations and any industry-specific technical standards when implementing tUAS solutions.

Keywords

tethered unmanned aircraft systems, tUAS, tethered UAS, tether power, winch, tether cable, mechanical restraint, system requirements, UAS manufacturing, tethered drone safety

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 24356:2022 is an international standard that specifies general and manufacturing requirements for tethered unmanned aircraft systems (tUAS) whose tether supplies power and provides mechanical restraint.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers system-level design and manufacturing requirements, tether electrical and mechanical characteristics, winch and tether-management equipment, monitoring and telemetry, operator documentation, and test/verification activities for tUAS used in industrial and commercial contexts.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Manufacturers and integrators of tethered UAS, certification and testing bodies, aviation regulators, procurement teams and operators who deploy tethered systems for persistent power or restraint-sensitive missions.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 24356:2022 was published on 1 August 2022 as Edition 1. It is current as published; users should check with ISO or their national standards body for any amendments or revisions issued after that date.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It sits within the family of standards for unmanned aircraft systems developed by ISO/TC 20/SC 16 and is related to other UAS standards such as the ISO 21384 series; national adoptions exist (for example BS ISO 24356:2022).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: tethered unmanned aircraft systems, tUAS, tethered UAS, tether power, tether cable, winch, tether management, safety, manufacturing requirements.