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Mission mode is PX4’s fully autonomous waypoint navigation mode. You define a sequence of mission items — takeoff, waypoints, loiter patterns, camera triggers, and landing — in a ground control station, upload the plan to the flight controller, and then activate Mission mode to execute the flight without manual stick input. The vehicle follows your plan, handles transitions between items, and lands or holds when the mission is complete. Mission mode requires a global position estimate (GPS) and must be armed before activation. Once active, the autopilot manages navigation, altitude, speed, and heading autonomously. You can still take control at any time by switching to another flight mode — the mission pauses and can be resumed by switching back.

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Planning a mission in QGroundControl

QGroundControl’s Plan View is the standard tool for building PX4 missions. Open Plan View by clicking the paper-and-pencil icon in the top bar.
1

Open Plan View

Launch QGroundControl and connect to your vehicle. Click the Plan icon in the top toolbar to switch to Plan View. The map shows your vehicle’s home position as a house icon.
2

Add a takeoff item

Click Add Mission Item and select Takeoff. Set the takeoff altitude in the item properties. PX4 will ascend vertically to at least MIS_TAKEOFF_ALT before proceeding to the next item — if the takeoff item altitude is lower than MIS_TAKEOFF_ALT, the parameter value takes precedence.
3

Add waypoints

Click locations on the map to add Waypoint items. Set the altitude for each. Drag items to adjust their positions. PX4 flies a straight line between waypoints and rounds corners within the acceptance radius (NAV_ACC_RAD).
4

Add loiter, camera, or other items

Insert additional mission items as needed — loiter patterns, speed changes, camera triggers, gimbal commands, or an RTL command. See the mission item types below for options.
5

Add a land item

End the mission with a Land item or Return to Launch item. Without an explicit end item, the vehicle holds at the last waypoint when the mission completes.
6

Configure geofence (optional)

Click the Fence tab in Plan View to draw inclusion or exclusion zones. The vehicle will trigger a failsafe if it crosses a fence boundary during the mission.
7

Upload the mission

Click Upload Required (or the upload button) to send the mission plan to the flight controller via the telemetry link. Confirm the upload completes without errors before arming.
Missions are stored on the flight controller’s SD card and persist across reboots. The mission resets (returns to item 1) only when the vehicle disarms or a new mission is uploaded.

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Mission item types

Commands the vehicle to ascend vertically to the specified altitude, then proceed toward the item’s map position. If the vehicle is already airborne when Mission mode activates, the takeoff item is treated as a normal waypoint. PX4 enforces a minimum altitude of MIS_TAKEOFF_ALT regardless of the altitude set in the item.
The primary navigation item. The vehicle flies to the waypoint’s 3D position (latitude, longitude, altitude). You can configure a loiter time (param1) at the waypoint before the vehicle proceeds. When param1 > 0, the vehicle circles the waypoint for that duration rather than flying through it.PX4 switches to the next waypoint as soon as the vehicle enters the acceptance radius (NAV_ACC_RAD), creating rounded turns at corners rather than hard stops.
Commands the vehicle to circle a fixed point:
  • Loiter Unlimited — circles indefinitely until the mode changes
  • Loiter Time — circles for a set duration, then continues
  • Loiter to Altitude — circles until the vehicle reaches the target altitude (useful for fixed-wing altitude adjustments)
The loiter radius is set by NAV_LOITER_RAD. On multicopters, loiter is implemented as a hover at the point rather than a banked circle.
Inserts an RTL command at any point in the mission. The vehicle ascends to the RTL altitude, navigates to home position, and lands. Useful as a final mission item or as a conditional action.
Commands the vehicle to land at the item’s map position. The vehicle descends vertically at MPC_LAND_SPEED and auto-disarms after touchdown. If no land item is present, the vehicle holds at the last waypoint after the mission completes.
Sets the vehicle’s cruising speed from this point forward in the mission. All subsequent waypoints are navigated at the new speed until another speed change item overrides it.
A variety of camera control items are available: IMAGE_START_CAPTURE, IMAGE_STOP_CAPTURE, DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST (trigger every N meters), DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_INTERVAL (trigger every N seconds), video start/stop, and gimbal control. These are used for photogrammetry surveys and inspection missions.
Jumps to a specified mission item index, repeating it a set number of times. Useful for survey patterns that require multiple passes. Note that manually repositioning to item 1 via QGroundControl does not reset the jump counter.

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Geofence

A geofence defines spatial boundaries the vehicle must stay within (inclusion zones) or must not enter (exclusion zones). PX4 checks geofence boundaries continuously during flight and triggers a configurable failsafe action if a boundary is crossed.
Draw a polygon or circle on the map in QGroundControl’s Fence tab. The vehicle must remain inside this zone. If it exits, PX4 triggers the geofence breach action (configurable: Hold, Return, Terminate, Land).
Geofence boundaries are also checked during mission feasibility validation when you upload the plan. PX4 will refuse to start a mission if any mission item lies outside an inclusion zone or inside an exclusion zone.

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Mission execution behavior

When you activate Mission mode while landed, PX4 executes the mission from the first item. If the mission has no takeoff item, the vehicle ascends to MIS_TAKEOFF_ALT automatically before proceeding to the first waypoint. When you activate Mission mode while already airborne, PX4 continues from the current active item and treats any takeoff item as a normal waypoint. You can pause a mission at any time by switching to Hold mode or Position mode. Switch back to Mission mode to resume from the current waypoint. If the vehicle was capturing images when paused, PX4 resumes from the previous waypoint and retraces the leg to ensure complete survey coverage.

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Mission feasibility checks

PX4 validates the mission when you upload it and again before arming. The vehicle will not enter Mission mode if feasibility checks fail — it switches to Hold mode instead. Common failure causes include:
  • A mission item conflicts with the geofence boundary
  • No takeoff or land item when MIS_TKO_LAND_REQ requires one
  • The first waypoint is very far from the home position (warning only, mission still starts)

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Key parameters

ParameterDescriptionDefault
MIS_TAKEOFF_ALTMinimum takeoff altitude — the vehicle ascends to at least this height before navigating to the first waypoint2.5 m
NAV_LOITER_RADLoiter radius for fixed-wing vehicles; on multicopters, loiter is a hover at the point50 m
NAV_ACC_RADAcceptance radius for waypoint completion; vehicle switches to next waypoint when within this distance10 m
MIS_TKO_LAND_REQRequire takeoff and/or landing items in the mission planNo requirement (multicopter)
MIS_DIST_1WPWarn if the first waypoint is further than this distance from home; 0 disables the check900 m
COM_RC_OVERRIDEWhether moving RC sticks during Mission mode returns control to the pilot in Position modeEnabled
COM_RC_STICK_OVStick deflection threshold (%) that triggers override when COM_RC_OVERRIDE is enabled30%
MIS_COMMAND_TOUTTimeout for long-running mission items (gripper, winch, gimbal) before moving to the next item10 s
Always upload and validate your mission before arming. Walk through each item in QGroundControl’s Plan View to confirm altitudes, positions, and the order of operations. Pay special attention to the landing approach altitude and any obstacles near the final waypoints.

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