The TUM student club Horyzn has achieved an extraordinary milestone in the GoAERO Mission, a prestigious global competition dedicated to designing and building the world’s first autonomy-enabled rescue aircraft—known as the Emergency Response Flyer.
The flyer must be portable, safe, and versatile, capable of maneuvering in tight spaces using Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL). And most important: The drone will be constructed to securely deliver a first responder, to transport a patient, or to bring supplies in cities, rural areas, and disaster zones.
The GoAERO Mission, supported by major partners including NASA, RTX, and Honeywell, challenges innovators worldwide to create life-saving aerial solutions capable of operating in disaster zones, urban environments, and remote areas. The competition spans three rigorous stages:
Stage 1: Submission of a technical proposal
Stage 2: Build and fly a 35% scaled prototype
Stage 3: Build and fly a full-scale prototype
On December 3, 2025, Horyzn was announced as one of only eight global winners of stage 2—selected from over 200 international competitors. Even more impressively, Horyzn is the only German team and one of just two European teams to win both stage 1 and stage 2, cementing its position as a leader in aerial innovation.
The winning prototype, the Isar Falke, is an advanced octacopter drone capable of carrying up to 7 kg of payload at a flight speed of 15 m/s. This achievement demonstrates not only technical know-how but also the team’s commitment to creating practical, life-saving solutions.
The future of autonomous rescue aviation
With this victory, Horyzn now turns its full attention to stage 3: building and flying a full-scale Emergency Response Flyer. The goal is constructing the largest student-built drone in Europe, capable of carrying a payload of over 80 kg, including a life-size mannequin simulating an adult human. The team aims to complete the build within this wintersemester, setting the stage for the final fly-off at NASA Ames Research Center in San Francisco in February 2027.
By enabling rapid deployment and safe transport of first responders, patients, and critical supplies, these aircrafts have the potential to save lives in disaster zones and hard-to-reach areas.