A solar-powered, ultralight aircraft is studying climate change

  • Reading Time:3Minutes

Aurora Flight Sciences, an aeronautics company acquired by Boeing in 2017, unveiled a solar-powered self-propelled aircraft called Odysseus back in late 2018, with the primary goal of helping researchers collect data on climate change from 2021 to 2022, a satellite operating system. for a fraction of the cost. Named Odysseus, the carbon fiber machine is one of the so-called high-altitude drones (HALE) and, according to its manufacturer, distinguishes it from similar devices: it alone is able to float permanently in one place, carry more load, and cover a larger area than known competitors in preparation or in production.

The drone’s six propellers are powered by solar panels and batteries capable of producing 250 watts of constant power, allowing Aurora to carry an unprecedented 25-kilogram payload on similar machines. The feather-weight monster has a wingspan of 74 meters, but its weight is only lighter than a Smart car – a Smart Fortwo currently in production weighs 890 kilograms. Officially, the term “several months” is used in its description below endurance, but in its communication, Aurora is happy to refer to “its solar panels can keep it in the air virtually indefinitely”. The built-in, high-resolution monitoring system of the stratosphere can measure vegetation, changes in ice cover, and even soil moisture. Although the company has not commented on exact amounts so far, climate researchers may find Odysseus ’main attraction to be orders of magnitude cheaper than a satellite that ranges from $ 400 million to $ 500 million, according to Globalcom.

Three prototypes have been made from Odysseus, the first two of which are still being tested for airworthiness and the use of solar energy, and the third prototype, which will fly in 2021, will already be equipped with an ozone layer tester developed at Harvard University to test the machine’s load capacity. The Odysseus will first take off from Puerto Rico on April 23, 2019, scheduled for the 31st anniversary of the Daedalus 88 human-powered aircraft developed at Massachusetts University of Technology (MIT) – Greek Olympic cyclist Kanellos Kanellopoulos 115 during the event leading up to the founding of the Aurora. drove the plane over the Aegean Sea for nearly four hours.

“Aurora’s founding was driven by the idea that technology and innovation can provide effective solutions to serious problems that affect all of humanity. The birth of Odysseus was inspired by Daedalus and is now able to provide real help to advance important research related to climate change or other atmospheric issues, ”said John Langford, CEO of Aurora, who was also one of the leaders of the Daedelus project, in a statement. Founded in 1989, Aurora Flight Sciences has made the most of its history with its collaboration with NASA, but events have accelerated since the 2017 Boeing acquisition. In January 2018, the largest octocopter drone with a carrying capacity (220 kilograms) was built, and last May, fuel, water and medical equipment were delivered to Marines by a self-guided helicopter during a California test. In addition, the US Department of Defense last year allowed the transfer of technologies developed in state-funded projects for commercial use, so by 2023 the company plans to produce human-operated and later self-driving air taxis.

Recent article

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

The flying ambulance arrives at lightning speed

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

The electric car revolution could continue in the air

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Unmanned aerial taxis flew in a unique formation

Electric airplane News & Articles

NASA’s Innovations: Soaring into an Electrified Flight Future

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Could eVTOLs and Air Taxis Replace Public Transport ?

Additional aircraft News & Articles

The Morphobot: An Innovation in Multimodal Robotics

News & Articles Points of interest

The Dawn of AI Air Travel: Airbus and its Vision for Autonomy

Air taxi News & Articles

Volocopter’s High-Flying Ambitions for the Olympics

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

The Horizon of Aviation: Airbus’ Vision for 2035 and Beyond

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

A Shift in Aviation Licensing and Training

Drones News & Articles

Russia’s Path to Drone Supremacy

Air taxi News & Articles

Israel’s Pioneering Venture into Drone Transport

Air taxi News & Articles

More efficient air taxis in the future

Air taxi News & Articles

Testing of perhaps the most promising air taxi begins

Additional aircraft News & Articles

Navigating the Future: Autonomous Helicopters Soar High

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Embracing the Future: Seoul’s Leap into Urban Air Mobility
More articles you may be interested in...

Air taxi News & Articles

The Coming Electric Air Taxi Revolution: Competing with Train Tickets ?

The Dutch company, Electron Aviation, is making a bold promise that is set to disrupt.......... READ MORE

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Unveiling the Whisper of Innovation: CycloTech’s Exploration into CycloRotor Noise Levels

In the fast-paced realm of aeronautical engineering, the introduction of CycloRotors has heralded a paradigm.......... READ MORE

Points of interest

Sailing the Skies in Style: Airbus’s Novel Vision for Air Travel

Navigating the dawn of a fresh chapter in aviation, Airbus recently shared its audacious plans.......... READ MORE

Drones News & Articles

Boosting Agriculture: A Drone Revolution Awaits in Budapest

The stage is set in Hungary, as it stands on the brink of an exciting.......... READ MORE

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Embracing the Future with Rolls-Royce’s Revolutionary UltraFan Engine

Just when you thought the apex of innovation had been reached, Rolls-Royce challenges the notion.......... READ MORE

Air taxi News & Articles

Testing of perhaps the most promising air taxi begins

For some of us, the very idea of an air taxi evokes scenes straight out.......... READ MORE

Additional aircraft News & Articles

Navigating the Future: Autonomous Helicopters Soar High

Unmanned helicopters are no longer a concept in some futuristic Sci-Fi novel. They're here, revolutionizing.......... READ MORE

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Embracing the Future: Seoul’s Leap into Urban Air Mobility

In an audacious move to revolutionize its transport system, Seoul - the bustling South Korean.......... READ MORE