Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts)
Fri Aug 23, 2013, 06:40 AM Aug 2013

The drone that may never have to land

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/08/23/solara-drone/?iid=HP_LN



These long-endurance 'atmospheric satellites' could continuously fly for up to five years, monitor traffic and patrol borders.


The drone that may never have to land
August 23, 2013: 5:00 AM ET
By Clay Dillow

FORTUNE -- While much of the nascent civilian unmanned aircraft industry looks at ways to optimize small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for specific tasks such facility security, infrastructure inspection, or precision agriculture, a New Mexico-based aerospace startup is thinking bigger and longer-term.

Titan Aerospace, a one-year-old venture-backed aircraft designer, last week unveiled its Solara 50 and Solara 60 unmanned aircraft. These are two massive solar-powered, high-altitude vehicles the company plans to send aloft for weeks, months, and eventually years at a time without ever having to land.

Titan doesn't refer to these concept aircraft as "drones" or by the industry-preferred "unmanned aerial system," but instead calls them "atmospheric satellites" for their ability to remain aloft for extended periods of time just as orbital satellites do. The company hopes to provide a sub-$2 million platform that governments, private industry, and research institutions can put high into the atmosphere for extended periods of time for a fraction of the cost of a space satellite.

The idea is that an atmospheric satellite can conduct most of the same operations as an orbital one: atmospheric observation and weather monitoring, communications relay, oceanographic research, and earth imaging. Other operations are impractical for space satellites, such as border security, maritime traffic monitoring and anti-piracy operations, disaster response, or agricultural observation. And with continuous flight time of up to five years, Solara's aircraft would have endurance on par with many small satellites, making them a more attractive option for a range of these applications (not to mention that if a sensor or instrument goes down, you can land and relaunch).
2 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The drone that may never have to land (Original Post) unhappycamper Aug 2013 OP
Canada has a broadcast airplane that is powered by microwave RF beamed at it from the ground Kolesar Aug 2013 #1
Thanks for the RF drone information. n/t unhappycamper Aug 2013 #2

Kolesar

(31,182 posts)
1. Canada has a broadcast airplane that is powered by microwave RF beamed at it from the ground
Fri Aug 23, 2013, 07:03 AM
Aug 2013

It stays aloft for months. It has to broadcast over a huge area, so it needs a lot of "power". Solar would not work at latitudes near 60 degrees north, since it can be dark for 18 hours/day in December.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Veterans»The drone that may never ...