Solar-Powered Drone Developed by Airbus Flies for 64 Days

Airbus, European Aerospace Group, Developed A Solar-Powered Drone That Broke Several Records And Nearly Broke A World Record From 1959.

According to information from the United States Army, on Tuesday (23), a solar-powered drone crashed after flying for more than two months. The equipment, named Zephy-8 produced by the European group Airbus, encountered events that led to the unexpected end of its journey over the desert of Yuma, Arizona, on August 18.

Airbus Solar-Powered Drone Broke Several Records

The website Simple Flying, responsible for tracking flights, stated that Airbus’s device reached an altitude of 45,000 to 50,000 feet and rapidly began to fall at an accelerating rate. The solar-powered drone has a wingspan of over 25 meters and weighs 75 kilograms, more than doubling the records for unmanned flights.

The vehicle was also close to surpassing the longest flight of all time. In 1959, two pilots flew a Cessna 172 for 64 days, 22 hours, and 19 minutes over a desert in the southwestern United States. The plane was refueled only twice while flying over a moving truck that provided fuel. The solar-powered drone flew almost the entire time in the stratosphere to verify its capability to receive and transmit data.

The device was piloted through satellite connections, according to information from Airbus and the Army. The solar-powered drone could someday be used as a station due to its ability to remain at high altitudes for extended periods and provide broadband communication services to remote areas.

British Company Develops Giant Solar-Powered Drone

A British company tested its PHASA-35 model last year, a 35-meter and 150 kg solar-powered drone. The model, which managed to fly for over a year, was sponsored by the United Kingdom’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the Defence Science and Technology Group.

The tests were successful and took place at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Woomera Test Range in southern Australia, with the help of RAAF personnel at the base with the testing team. The solar-powered drone was developed to fly in the stratosphere, above weather phenomena and also aircraft traffic.

The Phasa-35 can reach an altitude of approximately 21,300 meters and can also fly at night using a battery that stores energy from its solar panels during the day.

Meet Airbus

The Airbus is a leading company in designing, manufacturing, and supplying aerospace products, services, and solutions to customers worldwide. The company has more than 125,000 employees and serves as the largest aviation and space company in Europe and a global leader, Airbus is at the forefront of the aviation industry. The company develops the most advanced commercial aircraft and consistently captures around half of all its commercial aircraft orders.

Due to its deep understanding of changing market demands, technological innovation, and customer focus, Airbus provides products that connect people and places through air and space. With over 5 decades of experience, the company conducted its first flight of the SA330 in 1965. This was the first in a long series that has been built in various versions to this day.