This 100% Solar Powered Aircraft Flew For Three Weeks Straight Without Landing

The aviation industry has a reputation of being gas-guzzling, pollution making enterprises. However, this solar-powered aircraft could prove to be an environmentally viable alternative to petrochemical-based fuel in the future.

Airbus

Also Read: This Solar Plane Can Fly High Over The Clouds Forever And Might Just Be The Best Alternative To Satellites

Reported first by EandT, aeroplane maker Airbus is developing an aircraft that can fly using solar energy, and recently it has managed to continuously fly for nearly three weeks without landing. The aircraft has a wingspan of 25 metres and weighs just 75 kilograms.

Dubbed Zephyr, it has flown six times until now -- four low-level test flights and two stratospheric flights. The latter ones actually went on for 18 days each, totalling over 36 days of continuous flight with just two take-offs.

From its looks, you would have figured out by now that this isn't a passenger aircraft -- in fact, it looks more like an unmanned glider and that¡¯s exactly the case. It¡¯s designed to help in disaster management operations, monitoring the extent of damage caused by oil spills or wildfires since it can stay up for so long without any hiccups.

It is powered by a dual-propeller system that could easily survive up to six months in the air and would be more environmentally friendly to be launched than a satellite using rockets.

Also Read: Solar Plane Completes Round-The-World Trip

Jana Rosenmann, head of unmanned aerial systems at Airbus explained, ¡°Credible and proven ultra-persistence, stratospheric agility and payload interoperability underscore why Zephyr is the leader in its sector. It is a sustainable, solar-powered, ISR and network-extending solution that can provide vital future connectivity and earth observation to where it is needed.¡±.

Airbus

Also Read: This Solar-Powered Drone Can Fly At 70,000 Feet For A Whole Year

She added, ¡°I think it¡¯s got a huge potential to reach people that traditionally you¡¯re not going to reach with fibre [broadband]. There isn¡¯t really a limit to reaching the unconnected population today, which is a vast community.¡±

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