Doping-ITA completes 1,000-km drone test in Alaska

Sept 16 : The International Testing Agency (ITA) has completed a 1,000-km test flight in Alaska to examine whether anti-doping blood samples can withstand long journeys without being affected.

The trial explored whether drones could offer an additional way of moving samples from testing sites to laboratories, particularly when distance, terrain or tight timelines make traditional transport methods more challenging.

"Through this research, we are assessing whether drone technology can become a reliable additional option for transporting samples over long distances or across difficult terrain," ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen said in a statement.

The ITA said researchers divided anonymised blood samples from healthy volunteers into two groups, with one travelling aboard the drone and the other held back as a control.

Sensors recorded temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, vibration and acceleration during the journey, with the agency saying the data would help determine whether drone transport influences the biomarkers used in anti-doping analysis.

The autonomous heavy-lift aircraft, built by Windracers, flew the route from Nenana Municipal Airport on August 19, with operational support from the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI).

The project builds on a smaller-scale study conducted in Doha in 2022, when drones transported blood samples over distances of up to 20 km.

The ITA said the work is intended to explore a possible supplementary transport option rather than replace existing delivery methods.