Airbus’ solar plane Zephyr S HAPS has broken the record for longest flight to date. The plane landed after being airborne for 25 days, 23 hours and 57 minutes.
The unmanned Zephyr S HAPS, where HAPS stands for High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite, took off on July 11 in Arizona and made a successful landing earlier this week, Airbus reports. The previous record was also held by Airbus.
A Zephyr prototype managed to stay in the air for a fortnight a few years ago. According to the manufacturer, the new endurance record of the production model confirms that the system can be used. In time, Airbus wants to focus on both commercial and military applications. The company mentions border security and monitoring the earth in the event of calamities, such as forest fires or oil disasters, as an example.
Zephyr S HAPS is a fully solar-powered, unmanned aerial vehicle flying at an altitude of 21 kilometers. The aircraft has a wingspan of 25 meters and a weight of 75 kilograms. Airbus is developing a second model, the Zephyr T, which is larger with a wingspan of 33 meters, and also heavier with a weight of 140 kilograms. It must be able to carry heavier loads.