AeroNode is a student-led team of engineers, programmers, and aviation enthusiasts dedicated to designing and building an autonomous aircraft for the SUAS competition. Our mission is to push the boundaries of what middle and high schoolstudents can achieve in aerospace technology.
We are based in Bellevue, Washington, and are one of less than ten teams composed of middle and high school students competing in the SUAS competition. Additionally, our entire team consists of just five members, making us one of the smallest teams in the competition. Despite our size, we are still able to compete at a high level and are proud of our accomplishments.
More about us
5
Team Members
4
Sponsors
3
Subteams
1st
Year Competing
Our Season Roadmap
April 2026
Team Kickoff
AeroNode forms as a rookie team, subteams are organized, and mission planning begins.
May 2026
Design
Airframe layout, avionics architecture, and flight-control systems are locked in.
June 2026
Assemble
Stuff is assembled together.
June 2026
Flight Testing
Test all systems on the drone as well as stress testing to ensure stability.
September 2026
SUAS Competition
We compete at the SUAS competition in Tulsa, Oklahoma!
01
Design
We design the aircraft and we select the best airframe, power system, sensors, and software to meet competition requirements.
02
Assemble
We assemble the drone, wire electronics, and attach any accessories or mechanisms.
03
Testing
We conduct a lot of tests to make sure all systems on our drone are fully functional and stable.
Season Events
Stuff we've done this season.
April 2026
Team Outreach
Members of AeroNode showcased and explained the science behind Icarus.
May 2026
Team Outreach event 2
With a newly developed understanding of the aircraft's capabilities, members of AeroNode showcased and explained the science behind Icarus.
June 2026
First Full Assembly
The aircraft came together for the first time — power, sensors, and software all integrated on one airframe.
July 2026
Test Runs
AeroNode conducted test runs to validate the aircraft's performance and refine its systems for competition readiness.
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