An uncrewed solar-powered aircraft has smashed its previous flight duration record by remaining aloft for two full calendar months 鈥� and it is still airborne.
The Zephyr S, built by Airbus in the UK, has photovoltaic solar panels on top of its wings that can power its electric motor and recharge onboard batteries so that it can fly throughout the day and night.
The aircraft, which is designed for long-term reconnaissance missions, has a wingspan of 25 metres and weighs less than 75 kilograms. Airbus claims that when the craft is at its operating altitude it can observe an area of ground measuring 20 kilometres by 30 kilometres.
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The US Army is testing the aircraft above its Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. Previous test flights at the same location have also .
Data provided to 快猫短视频 by shows that since taking off on 15 June, the aircraft has so far travelled at an average speed of 61.9 kilometres per hour at an average altitude of 61,277 feet. As of 15 August, .
The previous record duration for an uncrewed flight was 25 days, 23 hours and 57 minutes, set by a Zephyr in 2018.
In military circles, these aircraft are known as high altitude platform systems and are essentially designed to carry out a similar function to geostationary satellites, staying above an area of interest and providing constant surveillance.
During its flight the Zephyr S had time and space to trace out various images and words, including 鈥�40鈥� (pictured below) and 鈥�50鈥� to mark milestone numbers of days aloft, 鈥溾��, 鈥淯SA鈥� and even 鈥淓IIR鈥� in an apparent homage to Queen Elizabeth II.
Airbus declined to comment, but US Army spokesperson Madeline Winkler told 快猫短视频 that the flight has been a success. 鈥淭he endurance goal for this flight was 30 days, so it has far exceeded that expectation,鈥� she says.
鈥淭he Zephyr has accomplished a number of firsts on this flight, including its first flight into international airspace, longest continuous flight utilising satellite communication controls, and the farthest demonstration from its launch point. Since this is a prototype aircraft, a very cautious approach is being taken in determining how long to fly the aircraft. Airbus is monitoring the Zephyr sub-systems in real time and all are performing well,鈥� says Winkler.
