Aurora Introduces Solar-Powered Autonomous Aircraft

0

Image: Aurora Flight Sciences

Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences revealed a new solar-powered, autonomous high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) concept on Wednesday. As seen in the video below, the Odysseus is designed to be an ultra-long-endurance platform capable of performing research, communication, connectivity and intelligence missions. The company says the aircraft will have a payload capacity of 55 pounds and be capable of staying aloft “almost indefinitely.” Its first flight is scheduled for next spring.

“Aurora was founded by the idea that technology and innovation can provide powerful solutions to tough problems that affect all of humankind,” said Aurora CEO John Langford. “Odysseus offers persistence like no other solar aircraft of its kind, which is why it is such a capable and necessary platform for researchers.”

Some key features of Odysseus include the ability to persistently and autonomously remain on station, provide a greater year-round global operating zone than other vehicles in its class, and receive payload and hardware options and be quickly customized, re-tasked and relocated. According to Aurora, Odysseus was inspired by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Daedalus project, which was led by Langford and other founding members of Aurora. Daedalus set distance and endurance records for human-powered aircraft in 1988.

LEAVE A REPLY