Budget
AUD 100k (~USD 66k at 0.66 USD/AUD), excluding drone airframes.
Coverage sizing grid ยท 2026-06-15
Choose the hourly area before choosing the fleet.
The payload budget buys 1–2 custom payloads at the current recurring-cost band. That makes the desired one-hour revisit area the key remaining mission decision for RFS-011.
Budget baseline
The current custom path is a focused-zone budget, not a regional-coverage budget.
Custom payload cost
USD 22k–USD 57k recurring per payload, so the budget buys 1–2 payloads.
At 120 m
One payload covers ~182 ha/h; the optimistic two-payload budget covers ~364 ha/h.
With altitude waiver
One payload covers ~378 ha/h; the optimistic two-payload budget covers ~755 ha/h.
One-hour revisit grid
Required payload count and maximum unit cost by target area.
| Target area | Payloads @120 m | Max unit cost @120 m | Fit @120 m | Payloads with waiver | Max unit cost with waiver | Fit with waiver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 ha (1.0 km2) | 1 | USD 66k | Custom band fits | 1 | USD 66k | Custom band fits |
| 250 ha (2.5 km2) | 2 | USD 33k | Only low-end custom fits | 1 | USD 66k | Custom band fits |
| 500 ha (5.0 km2) | 3 | USD 22k | Needs cheaper payload or more budget | 2 | USD 33k | Only low-end custom fits |
| 750 ha (7.5 km2) | 5 | USD 13k | Needs cheaper payload or more budget | 2 | USD 33k | Only low-end custom fits |
| 1,000 ha (10.0 km2) | 6 | USD 11k | Needs cheaper payload or more budget | 3 | USD 22k | Needs cheaper payload or more budget |
| 2,000 ha (20.0 km2) | 11 | USD 6k | Needs cheaper payload or more budget | 6 | USD 11k | Needs cheaper payload or more budget |
The max-unit-cost columns divide the AUD 100k payload budget across the payload count needed for one-hour revisit. If the allowed unit cost falls below the current custom recurring band, the mission needs cheaper COTS/camera-only payloads, more budget, or a looser revisit target.
What the budget buys
Revisit time with one payload and with the optimistic two-payload budget.
| Target area | One payload @120 m | Two payloads @120 m | One payload with waiver | Two payloads with waiver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 ha (1.0 km2) | 33 min | 16 min | 16 min | 8 min |
| 250 ha (2.5 km2) | 82 min | 41 min | 40 min | 20 min |
| 500 ha (5.0 km2) | 165 min | 82 min | 79 min | 40 min |
| 750 ha (7.5 km2) | 247 min | 124 min | 119 min | 60 min |
| 1,000 ha (10.0 km2) | 330 min | 165 min | 159 min | 79 min |
| 2,000 ha (20.0 km2) | 660 min | 330 min | 318 min | 159 min |
Decision reading
This narrows the stakeholder question to area, altitude, and unit cost.
100 ha
Easy for one custom payload; the budget question is not binding.
500 ha
Needs three payloads at 120 m, or two with the altitude waiver. That makes waiver approval and low-end recurring cost the practical custom path.
1000 ha
Needs three payloads even with the waiver, so the allowed unit cost falls below the current custom floor and pushes the trade back toward cheaper COTS or a trimmed camera-only build.
Beyond 1000 ha
Regional hourly coverage needs more payload budget, substantially cheaper units, or a looser revisit target. It should not be hidden inside the optical prescription.