INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Main image: PHASA-35 will fly itself for months at a time
Credit: Prismatic/BAE SystemsThe longest passenger flight is a whopping 19-hour service on Singapore Airlines between Singapore and Newark,
but how about a non-stop flight lasting and entire year British aerospace company Prismatic is now working on a solar-powered drone that can
In fact, it can only carry a payload of 15kg, but it has the potential to replace satellites for communications in off-grid areas, for
It will have solar panels that replenish a rechargeable battery during sunlight hours, with new battery technology able to sustain
kinds of wind issues.PHASA-35 weighs just 150kg
Prismatic is leading UK aerospace and defense manufacturer BAE Systems, which will invest in the development and flight testing of drone,
Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs have come as a result of efforts to develop a cheaper alternative to communication satellites, which
cost many millions to both construct, and then to launch into orbit on top of a rocket
director of Prismatic.PHASA-35 could be used for LIDAR mapping and thermal photography
expensive helicopter flights, which are used to monitor critical infrastructure
In that capacity HALE drones can be used for video, optical photography, thermal photography, and LIDAR
PHASA-35 will be able to carry about 15kg of communications or photographic gear and equipment.What are UAVs forSelf-piloted and completely
autonomous, UAVs have two obvious uses
congestion, checking up on a pipeline or monitoring forest fires, soil erosion and deforestation as it is about tracking troop movements or
photographing military targets
used for military surveillance
semi-permanent broadband access to remote areas not currently covered by satellites
For example, they could be used to bring communications to areas devastated by an earthquake, cyclone or tsunami, helping stricken populaces
while also helping the emergency services to coordinate rescue and reconstruction efforts.Does PHASA-35 have competitorsThere are plenty,
Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS)
A HAPS is a platform that floats or flies at high altitude like an airplane, about 12 miles up, but which operates more like a satellite.The
QinetiQ Zephyr-7 is a High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite
flight endurance record for an aircraft without refueling
Thales Alenia Space, which is preparing the lighter-than-air solar-powered Stratobus, with its first flight expected in 2021
Chessel, Stratobus Product Line manager, Thales Alenia Space
due to begin test flights in 2022.Stratobus is a HAPS shaped like an airship
With a wingspan of 4.5 meters, SolarXOne is also energy-independent, getting its power exclusively from the Sun.However, bigger news is that
SoftBank and AeroVironment have just begun a big solar HALE UAV project called HAPSMobile, which is expected to focus on taking internet
connectivity to remote areas
high-altitude vehicles look set to take their place in the skies, traversing the airspace between that occupied by satellites and
brought to you in association with HonorZ9naUK3YsR8dAU7DAARshN.jpg#
