If you haven’t already heard, Amazon’s new air delivery drone took flight last December—and no, it’s not here to spy on your barbecue. The MK30, which was first unveiled back in October 2023, is now buzzing around the West Valley of Arizona’s Phoenix metro area, dropping off packages like some high-tech flying butler. If you’re intrigued, slightly alarmed, or both, this article will catch you up on everything you need to know about Amazon’s most advanced drone yet.
This isn’t just any delivery drone. The MK30 was built entirely from scratch with aerospace-level reliability and can now travel twice as far as its predecessors—meaning your five-pound (2.3 kg) impulse buy can be at your doorstep (or nearby landing pad) in 60 minutes or less. As long as you live near Amazon’s fulfillment center in Tolleson, Arizona, or in College Station, Texas, you might already be in its flight path.
Noise? Barely a whisper. Amazon’s engineers spent years tweaking propellers to make this drone nearly half as loud as previous models. When it takes off, it practically vanishes into the soundscape—unlike your neighbor’s lawnmower, which will still ruin your afternoon nap.
The MK30 isn’t just fast and stealthy. It’s also smart. With onboard cameras and machine learning, it can dodge clotheslines, trampolines, and the occasional rogue squirrel. If something unexpected pops up mid-flight, it hands the wheel to a backup system and glides home like nothing happened.
This thing will work rain or shine. For the latter, Amazon has put the MK30 through its paces to ensure water will not stop the motors from working. During development, Amazon literally sprayed it from every direction while its motors were spinning—like a drone car wash gone wild—to make sure it could handle light precipitation.
FAA-approved since October, the MK30 can even fly beyond what humans can see, thanks to its detect-and-avoid system. Amazon’s long-term goal? Half a billion packages are delivered by drone every year. Your future orders might not arrive with a “thud” on the porch—but with a gentle hum from above.
Images: Amazon.
