UAVOS has joined the HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station) Alliance, a consortium of companies aiming to promote the use of high-altitude solar-powered autonomous UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for applications such as global research missions, communications and ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) from the stratosphere.
UAVOS plans to collaborate with the other member companies towards accelerating the development and adoption of HAPS technology. The company’s experience with HAPS technology comes from more than 1,000 hours of HAPS flight tests at altitudes of up to 66,000 ft (20,000 m). UAVOS’ ApusDuo project is the second generation of solar UAV developed by the company.
HAPS platforms are autonomous, high-altitude, ultra-long endurance unmanned aircraft, powered by solar energy and designed for applications such as enhanced global internet connectivity, continuous monitoring of the Earth’s surface, and the creation of a network of autonomous repeaters for high-speed data signals. The aircraft operate in the stratosphere, above ground infrastructure but below satellites, allowing for near-ubiquitous coverage due to avoiding significant latency issues and ground clutter.
The HAPS Alliance, originated by HAPSMobile and Loon, includes members from across the aerospace, technology, and telecom industries. In order to achieve its goal of advocating HAPS-related business development, the organization will liaise with industry entities including standards and regulatory authorities, and will work to accelerate the development and commercial adoption of HAPS technology.
Aliaksei Stratsilatau, UAVOS Lead Developer, commented: “We are excited to be a part of the HAPS Alliance and we look forward to the cross-industry cooperation that will foster adoption of new technology created by the UAVOS team. Having an aircraft which is flight proven, we hope that our considerable experience in the field of solar-powered aircraft will help to make the next steps in the evolution of the HAPS market.”
