The current world record for the highest altitude achieved by a drone is held by the DJI Matrice 300 RTK, which reached an elevation of 8,849 meters (29,029 feet) in 2018. This high-altitude flight took place at the Muroc Dry Lake in California and greatly exceeded the previous record of 6,168 meters. To reach such an extreme altitude, DJI customized the Matrice 300 with upgraded motors, propellers and batteries to cope with the thin air and extreme cold temperatures. Most consumer drones are limited to flying below 400 feet, but specialized high altitude drones like the Matrice 300 can handle elevations of over 24,000 feet. Using pressurized payloads and advanced avionics, future high-altitude drones may be able to reach over 30,000 feet to push the boundaries of possible flight envelopes.