What is Containment?
Containment is one of SORA's critical safety requirements. It addresses loss-of-control scenarios and ensures that a fly-away event does not create unacceptable ground or air risk outside the defined operational volume.
The SORA approach to mitigating the Loss of Control risk can be summarised as follows:
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There is a geocaging functionality, a virtual cage, so that the UAS stops when reaching the boundary of the Flight Volume.
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In case the UAS breaches the geocaging and exits the Operational Volume, due to a geocaging failure or any other reason, there is a Flight Termination system and/or set of procedures, generally resulting in engine power cut-off, so that the UAS would not crash outside of the ground risk buffer.
Containment at Low Robustness is based on the operator's declaration. For higher population densities or larger UAS (>1 m), achieving Medium Robustness containment can become a critical bottleneck.
Containment at Medium Robustness is challenging, it requires the review by a RAE-F in the UK.
CONTAINMENT APPLICATION SUPPORT
Who may require containment?
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Drone Operators who would partly rely on their UAS supplier to provide UAS design and/or failure rates
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UAS Designers and Manufacturers to facilitate their product's commercialisation
We support you end-to-end:
Understand the requirements. We translate SORA containment requirements into clear, actionable terms — and help you identify what your current system already satisfies and what still needs to be addressed.
Define a credible containment strategy. We help you develop a robust approach, covering failure mode analysis, geocaging and geofencing robustness claims, flight termination robustness claims, operational flying hours and failure data, and test plan design and evidence generation.
Document the approach for SORA. We prepare or refine the documentation required for your application: Design and Installation Appraisal reports, Functional Hazard Assessment reports, testing campaign reports, and routine operational procedures.
Engage with assessors and the CAA. We assist you in responding to questions from the Assessment entity and/or the CAA and in defending your containment approach during technical reviews.
Outcome: A containment approach that is technically sound, evidentially robust, and accepted by the regulator.
MEDICAL DRONE DELIVERY
KNOWLEDGE
