Jack Elston, CEO, Black Swift Technologies | Dawn of Autonomy | Episode 81

July 21, 2025

This week on The Dawn of Autonomy, Dr. Elston, CEO and Co-Founder of Black Swift Technologies(BST), shares insights as we continue “Global Ops” month sponsored by FIXAR.

Dr. Elston is a researcher with a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder. His work led to the first-ever UAS interception of a tornadic supercell storm, flying 72 missions at over 100 mph with no aircraft lost. He is also a pioneer in extreme-environment UAS missions, with flights conducted on all seven continents, including volcanoes, hurricanes, and arctic zones. He is deeply involved in innovation, working on projects like a tube-launched UAS for hurricanes, machine vision for GPS-denied flight and even a NASA glider concept for Venus.

Black Swift Technologies is an engineering firm that develops advanced unmanned aircraft systems tailored to real-world challenges. Their modular systems support industries like agriculture, disaster relief, and environmental monitoring delivering efficient, pilot-free solutions for data gathering. Near Costa Rica’s volcanoes, their drones monitor CO₂ vents, enabling regular data collection in extreme conditions to study climate impacts on ecosystems.

Tune in July 23 to learn about BST’s upcoming work in Mexico and hear how Dr. Elston turns science into tools that fly through fire, wind, and even across planets.