Airbus' Solar-Powered Zephyr S Has Been Flying Non-Stop For More Than 17 Days 18
Airbus is conducting a very-high-altitude flight of its uncrewed Zephyr S solar-powered aircraft, a report from The Drive reveals. It is more than 17 days into the flight. Interesting Engineering reports: The Zephyr S aircraft, which has also been described as a drone and a pseudo-satellite, took off from the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona in June. It was built to stay airborne for long stretches, allowing it to serve as a sensor platform for the military. The Zephyr S was spotted on online flight tracking software after it took off from an airstrip at Yuma Proving Ground on June 15. The aircraft has since flown several patterns over the Yuma Test Range and Kofa National Wildfire Refuge.
Airbus has been running Zephyr S test flights over this area for some time, but according to the flight tracking data, the drone also started conducting runs to the southeast near Arizona's border and the southwest toward the Gulf of Mexico. On June 27, Zephyr S flew over the Gulf of Mexico before flying over the Caribbean Sea and then onto the airspace over the Central American country of Belize. Last week, the aircraft turned back towards the U.S. When the Zephyr S first flew in 2018, it remained in the skies for almost 26 days. Whether the latest flight will go on even longer than that world-record milestone is yet to be confirmed.
Airbus has been running Zephyr S test flights over this area for some time, but according to the flight tracking data, the drone also started conducting runs to the southeast near Arizona's border and the southwest toward the Gulf of Mexico. On June 27, Zephyr S flew over the Gulf of Mexico before flying over the Caribbean Sea and then onto the airspace over the Central American country of Belize. Last week, the aircraft turned back towards the U.S. When the Zephyr S first flew in 2018, it remained in the skies for almost 26 days. Whether the latest flight will go on even longer than that world-record milestone is yet to be confirmed.
I feel it more than ever (Score:1)
We'll find a place together
What brings it down? (Score:2)
Assuming it can regularly get or stay above cloud deck and recharge solar by itself, what would cause the plane to come down (other than being shot down)? Are there any expendables on board? What's the lifetime of the batteries? Is there anything keeping it from staying up there for years if Airbus wanted it to?
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Maybe it can do years after some testing, with a good lubricant on the bearings and if the batteries keep working?
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It's pretty easy to add a oiler to each bearing. The problem is, you really want to shave every last gram away, and if you're adding lubricant then you also have to be planning for where it's going to go. Months is probably good enough.
Does anyone remember NASA Pathfinder or Helios? (Score:2)
I remember these two drones from many years ago. They set many records in their day and deserve an honorable mention for being some of the first.
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first at what? being forgotten?
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Firstest
I believe the word you are looking for is Furtive.
Delayed (Score:5, Funny)
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Imagine consuming flight fare and employing airplane potties for seventeen days non-stop. The future cannot get here soon enough,
Gulf of Mexico? (Score:3)
Uh, the Gulf of Mexico is SouthEAST of Yuma, not Southwest. I suspect they meant the Gulf of California aka the Sea of Cortez.
Kofa National Wildfire Refuge? (Score:2)
ZULU82 (ICAO AE1313) current conditions (Score:3)
Am looking at the adsbexchange site right now. ZULU82 (ICAO AE1313) is currently at 63k feet (~20 km) altitude. It's flying within a generally rectangular area about 15-20 km N-S and 40-45 km E-W. Its ground speed is about 16 kt (at least currently, as it flies about due E). It's in range of at least 4 ADS-B receivers, one of which is mine here at the house in PHX.
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What is it good for? (Score:2)
With every Ah in the batteries needed to stay above the weather during night, what will it do up there? As a relay it needs some power for transmitters. As a recce platform, it needs to carry cameras and again power radio equipment to get the piccies down. The military will not wait for months to collect the pictures with a USB stick.
Clearly, active sensors like a SAR are out of the question. But then - what payload is it supposed to carry, given that it has to be sup