U.S. has tested an "eternal" drone: What you need to know

The use of solar panels to power unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is opening new horizons in aviation.

The American company Skydweller Aero has demonstrated one of the most promising developments in this field – the Skydweller drone, which has successfully completed test flights, showcasing its potential for ultra-long missions, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The question of what the future holds for such aircraft is actively being discussed in the aviation and defense industries. In this article, we will examine what Skydweller is, what technologies were used in its creation, and the challenges and prospects for solar-powered drones.

How the tests went

The Skydweller drone completed two successful test flights from a launch site in Mississippi. In the first flight, the drone stayed in the air for 16 hours, and in the second flight, for 22.5 hours, confirming its high potential for long-term missions. The wingspan of the drone is an impressive 72 meters, which is nearly twice the size of an Airbus A320. Its weight is 2,550 kg, allowing it to carry a payload of up to 363 kg. Skydweller can ascend to an altitude of 13.7 thousand meters, and its carbon fiber fuselage enhances its aerodynamic performance, while solar panels on the wings make it environmentally friendly and silent.

The Skydweller project is supported by the U.S. Navy, highlighting its significant potential in military applications. The comprehensive tests confirmed the drone's capability for various ultra-long missions, including border monitoring, tracking smuggling operations, reconnaissance missions, and maritime surveillance for anti-piracy efforts.

Pros and cons of "Eternal" UAVs

Solar-powered UAVs, also referred to as pseudo-satellites, offer several significant advantages over traditional satellites. One key advantage is their ability to hover over a specific area for extended periods, allowing them to gather much more detailed information. Unlike satellites that follow a fixed orbit, UAVs can change their position and altitude, providing more flexible task execution.

Additionally, drones can be returned to Earth for maintenance, repair, or upgrades, which is impossible with traditional satellites. Furthermore, launching UAVs is significantly cheaper than sending space vehicles into orbit.

However, solar-powered UAVs have their drawbacks. First, they are dependent on weather conditions. For example, the Zephyr 8 drone, which aimed to set a flight duration record, had to abort its mission on the 64th day due to severe turbulence. Weather conditions, especially at high altitudes, can negatively impact such drones, which, despite their large size, have relatively fragile structures.

Moreover, the speed and maneuverability of solar-powered drones are still limited, making them vulnerable to ground or aerial attacks. For night missions, these drones require additional batteries, increasing their weight and complexity. In case of a mid-flight failure, falling debris could cause significant damage to populated areas.

Development prospects in Russia

Russian engineers have also made attempts to create eternal drones capable of staying airborne for extended periods. In 2016, the pseudo-satellite "Sova" underwent test flights, designed for operations in northern latitudes. The aircraft performed well, staying in the air for over 50 hours at an altitude of 9,000 meters. However, despite ambitious plans for the drone to fly for several months and reach altitudes of up to 20 kilometers, the project was discontinued in 2017.

The Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute named after Professor Zhukovsky also worked on solar-powered drones. In 2017, the institute conducted an experiment with a large-scale model in a wind tunnel, providing valuable data for future developments. The new UAV was planned to be equipped with propeller engines powered by solar panels, but the project did not come to fruition.

A more recent Russian development is a patent for a reconnaissance UAV operating on solar batteries, registered by the Moscow Border Institute of the FSB in 2023. Although its characteristics are still undisclosed, it is known that the drone will have the unique ability to take off and land without a runway. The project is ongoing, and it may play a significant role in advancing UAV technologies in Russia.

The future of solar-powered drones

With advancements like Skydweller, solar-powered aviation is becoming a more viable alternative to traditional aircraft. The potential applications for such drones in civil, military, and commercial fields are vast. These include monitoring natural disasters, observing environmental conditions, exploring remote areas, and even creating mobile telecommunications stations.

From an ecological standpoint, solar-powered UAVs could become a key component in the fight against climate change. They produce no harmful emissions and could replace traditional planes in tasks related to data collection and environmental monitoring. These drones can operate in areas inaccessible to ground vehicles, providing valuable data on the atmosphere, water resources, and land conditions.

However, the industry still faces important technological challenges. Solar panels need to become more efficient, and more lightweight and durable structures must be developed to improve the aircraft's resilience to atmospheric conditions. Another critical issue is reducing the cost of these projects to make them accessible for widespread use.

At this stage, projects like Skydweller offer hope that humanity will be able to actively use solar energy to create aircraft with virtually unlimited flight time in the future. These aircraft could be used not only for reconnaissance or military purposes but also for commercial needs, opening up new possibilities for UAV technologies.

News.Az