European air giant Airbus on Wednesday unveiled a solar-powered drone called Zephyr that will fly at a high altitude and fulfil the same functions as a satellite.
The project was presented at Britain’s Farnborough airshow, where Airbus revealed that the Zephyr S took off on July 11 for its maiden flight from Arizona in the United States.
“This maiden flight of the Zephyr S aims to prove and demonstrate the aircraft capabilities,” Airbus said in a statement.
During the day, it’s powered by solar energy that also recharges its lithium-sulphur batteries, which then serve as its energy source at night.
Airbus will now be flying Zephyr S from an operating site in Western Australia.
‘This has been chosen as the first launch and recovery site for the Zephyr [Unmanned Aerial Vehicle] due mainly to its largely unrestricted airspace and reliable weather,’ Airbus noted.
In addition to the Zephyr S, Airbus is also planning another HAPS called the Zephyr T.
It would feature a wingspan of more than 100ft, allowing it to carry bigger payloads.
The drones are ‘a mix between a satellite and a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) with the capabilities of a satellite and the flexibility of a UAV,’ Jana Rosenmann, senior vice president of unmanned aerial systems at Airbus, told AFP.

In addition to the Zephyr S, Airbus is also planning another HAPS called the Zephyr T. It would feature a wingspan of more than 100ft, allowing it to carry bigger payloads

Elite units will use the camera on the aircraft to monitor ground movement. Its antennae provides a communications platform for the furthest reaches of the globe
Aside from national security uses, the drones will also be used for maritime surveillance, border patrol missions and forest fire detection, according to the AFP.
If satellites are not available, special forces soldiers will use a control station to fly it over a range of up to 400km (250 miles).
Elite units will then use the camera on the aircraft to monitor ground movement.
Its antennae provides a communications platform for the furthest reaches of the globe.
The drone is equipped with battery technology that saves energy during the day, releasing it at night.
Seven models are planned to be produced in 2018 and seven more in 2019, Rosenmann said.
The drones will have both military and civilian applications, including maritime surveillance, border patrol missions and forest fire detection.
Britain’s defence ministry is the first customer.