AutonomyatAltitude
Pegasus builds unmanned aerial systems that navigate, decide, and land safely — without GPS, without a pilot, without compromise.
// AEROSPACE RESEARCH & AUTONOMY
Innovate. Build. Fly.
To revolutionize the application of autonomous aerial systems across research, governance, and space technology, establishing IIST as a global leader in multidisciplinary UAV development.
The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), located in Thiruvananthapuram, is Asia’s first space university. Functioning directly under the Department of Space, Government of India, IIST was established to serve as a specialized incubator for the nation's space program. By maintaining deep, integrated ties with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the institute fosters an unparalleled ecosystem where rigorous academic theory meets the high-stakes, applied engineering demands of advanced aerospace, avionics, and deep-tech innovation.
GPS-Denied Navigation
Visual-inertial odometry and SLAM pipelines that keep a drone oriented when satellite signal drops out entirely.
Failsafe Systems
Emergency landing logic that reads terrain in real time and chooses a safe touchdown zone autonomously.
Onboard Perception
Edge inference on Jetson hardware for object detection, tracking, and marker-based localization.
Alumni & Industry Network
Direct lines into India's space and defense sector through IIST's own graduating cohorts.
Active Projects
Click into a project for full documentation, the build team, mentors, and collaborators.
Flying Wings: National Defence Hackathon
Engineering a GPS-denied quadcopter capable of autonomous waypoint navigation for national defence applications.
Agricultural Drone Collaboration (Georgia University)
Developing an autonomous heavy-lift UAV platform engineered for precision rod insertion in soft paddy fields.
The Team
// Engineering & Leadership CadreDistinguished Mentors
// Academic & Aerospace AdvisoryRequest Hardware
Club Inventory & Avionics Checkout
Official equipment checkout portal for IIST students, researchers, and project builders. Requisition avionics, sensors, flight controllers, and propulsion hardware managed by Pegasus UAV Club.
- ›Hardware checkouts authorized for academic builds, competitions, and research.
- ›Standard loan cycle: 14 academic days with renewal option on review.
- ›Items must be inspected and returned in nominal working condition.
- ›Valid IIST student roll code required for equipment collection at Avionics Bay.
Join Pegasus
We're recruiting across every subsystem — flight controls, perception, structures, and outreach.