The US military’s record-breaking Zephyr 8 unmanned ultra-long endurance drone demonstration came to an abrupt end on August 18 at 9 p.m. PDT after an unprecedented 64 days of flight, when an unspecified and “unforeseen” incident caused the plane to fly near Yuma. brought up. Proving Ground (YPG) in Arizona.
Originally designed and built by British defense contractor QinetiQ in 2003 and now operated by Airbus Defense & Space, the Zephyr family of solar-powered drones has been breaking endurance since 2008 when a Zephyr accomplished 54 hours of flight. Managed, which almost doubled. Official world record time for longest duration of unmanned flight.
Zephyr 8, the latest version, was built as part of an effort to develop a platform for the Army’s Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing/Space (APNT/Space) Cross-Functional Team (CFT) that could be used for long-term reconnaissance missions. can be done for. and to act as a high-altitude pseudo-satellite that can provide a communication center equivalent to 25 cellphone towers.
Taking off in the air from the YPG on June 15, Zephyr 8 was deployed to an altitude of 60,000 feet (18,000 m) in the stratosphere as it flew over the southern United States, the Gulf of Mexico and South America, covering a distance. Used to fill 30,000 Nm (35,000 mi, 56,000 km). Its flight of 64 days broke all known unmanned aircraft endurance records.
During the flight, the aircraft not only set a new endurance record, but also made its first flight over water, flight over international airspace, first data collection and direct downlink in international airspace, the longest of seven days using satellite communications. sustained duration, and it demonstrated flexible satellite command and control from three different locations, including Huntsville, Alabama; Yuma, Arizona; and Farnborough, UK, as well as testing the drone’s energy storage capability, flight endurance, station-keeping, and agile positioning capabilities.
The Zephyr weighs less than 165 lb (75 kg) and has a wingspan of 82 ft (25 m). Its electric propulsion system is powered by 53 lb (24 kg) of lithium-ion batteries charged by gallium-arsenide solar cells mounted on the upper wing surfaces.
According to the army, there were no casualties and no other aircraft were in danger due to the flight ending. What happened is being investigated and more information will be released as it becomes available. Further flights have been suspended until at least 2023.
“Our team is working hard to collect and analyze critical data following the unexpected end of this flight,” said Michael Monteleone, director of APNT/Space CFT. “Despite this incident, the Army and its allies have collected invaluable data and increased knowledge on the endurance, efficiency and station-keeping capabilities of high-altitude UAS platforms. This knowledge enables us to advance the requirements for reliable, modern stratospheric capabilities.” for our soldiers.”
Source: US Army
