Giant Solar-Powered Drone Reaches 21,300 Meters Altitude Flying for Over a Year Without a Break

A British Company Is Testing A Giant Drone That Uses Solar Energy To Move

A British company is testing the PHASA-35, a 35-meter and 150kg drone that uses solar energy to move and can fly for over a year at an incredible altitude. Sponsored by the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and the Australian Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), successful flight tests took place at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Woomera Test Range in South Australia, with support from RAAF personnel at the base working with the test team.

Also Read

• The Drone Market Is Growing In Brazil And Boosting The Economy By Creating Jobs
• For The First Time In Brazil, A Drone Is Used For Confined Space Inspection On A Petrobras Platform
• Automation Technician
• Equinor Delivers Offshore Equipment With Drones And Becomes The First In The World In The Category Within The Oil And Gas Industry
• Botucatu-SP Has A Vacancy For A Maintenance Engineer At EMBRAER

The Drone That Can Reach An Incredible Height Of 21,3 Thousand Meters

The solar-powered drone has a wingspan of 35 meters, and according to the responsible company, it is designed to fly in the stratosphere, well above weather phenomena and also above air traffic. The PHASA-35 can reach an altitude of approximately 21,3 thousand meters and can also fly at night using the energy stored from its solar panels during the day.

Due to its high technology, the drone can reach an incredible altitude and operate in the air for over a year. It weighs 150 kg and was built and developed by Bae Systems, a company focused on manufacturing aerospace products.

Recomendado para você

Oil and Gas

Major Oil, Gas, and Energy Event Will Take Place in Brazil: Macaé Energy Will Gather Petrobras, Equinor, Prio, Among Other Suppliers and Energy Executives for Business, Networking, and Employment Opportunities

The Technical Agenda and the Fair in the City of Macaé Should Boost Discussions on Investments, Energy Transition, and Development of the Oil, Gas, and Energy Chain in the National...

Paulo Nogueira

1

Solar-Powered Drone Has Multiple Functions

Among the uses of the drone are: Military surveillance, ground observation, providing relief in disaster areas, border security, and environmental, maritime, and agricultural monitoring.

Still weighing 150 kg, the aircraft can be equipped with cameras, devices, and sensors to create a communication network, including 5G internet in locations where disasters occur, replacing satellites.

The inaugural flight of the PHASA-35 took place in 2020, and it is estimated that the solar-powered aircraft will begin to be used by governments and companies starting in 2025. More tests will also be conducted this year in the United States to verify if the drone can reach stratospheric altitude.

Another Solar-Powered Drone Model

Another major project is a drone made by the United States Naval Research Laboratory. It features a hybrid engine powered by hydrogen fuel cells and solar energy, and its tests conducted in November showed that the equipment can fly for up to 24 hours, gaining various utilities in military operations. Perhaps the efficiency of the aircraft is much better than already known, given that the weather conditions during the tests were terrible. Temperatures fell below zero, winds reached speeds of 37 km/h, and there was also no presence of solar energy. With the right conditions, the expectation of the laboratory engineers is that it can fly for two consecutive days.