Airbus Zephyr Solar High Altitude Platform System (HAPS) reaches new heights in its successful 2021 summer test flights
Source: Airbus Achieved 36 days of stratospheric flight, across two 2021 flights, proving Zephyr’s status as the only HAPS able to perform at length in the stratosphere Set a new world record for absolute altitude for this class of UAS at 76,100ft. Secured and exercised FAA flight approvals operating inside the US National Airspace System (NAS) Demonstrated successful flight with multiple payload integrations and tested new OPAZ payload, streaming Earth observation data Proved Zephyr can operationalize the stratosphere, achieving some 2,435 total flight hours and demonstrating precise stratospheric manoeuvrability and station-keeping over points on the ground. The Airbus Zephyr S completes a successful 2021 test flight campaign in the United States. The final Airbus solar-powered High Altitude Platform System (HAPS) [...]