Airbus Zephyr 7 HAPS completes winter-weather testing
The composites-intensive, solar-powered Zephyr 7 high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) completed more than 11 days of winter-weather flight testing to prove short-day/long-night capability.
Airbus Defence and Space has announced that the solar-powered, composites-intensive Zephyr 7 high-altitude pseudo satellite (HAPS) has just completed its most demanding mission to date and thus set a new benchmark in persistent, year-round operations for this class of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The test consisted of more than 11 days of nonstop flight in winter weather conditions with a new primary payload, including flight controlled through satellite communications – three more benchmarks reached by Zephyr 7. HAPS run exclusively on solar power, which during the day charges a battery; the battery is used to power the flight through the night. The most recent flight was comprised of shorter days and longer nights, which was significantly more demanding than any previous flight test.
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