Long-Endurance Drones In Making: NewSpace's Solar-Powered High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite Flies Over 21 Hours

NewSpace Research and Technologies Pvt Ltd (NRT), a company based in Bengaluru, revealed on Saturday (23 December) that its solar-powered High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS), a long-endurance drone, successfully completed its first flight which lasted more than 21 hours. This significant advancement supports India's objective to possess its own long-endurance drones that can operate in the stratosphere.

The Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative of the Defence Ministry is leading the project. As part of this, NRT has entered into an agreement for an initial proof-of-concept demonstrator, aiming for a solar-powered flight that lasts more than 48 hours.

The startup's CEO and ex-Air Force pilot, Sameer Joshi, revealed on X, that the company's prototype successfully completed its flight in a trial conducted on the Winter Solstice, 22 December.

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), which is powered by solar energy, faces its greatest endurance challenge on the Winter Solstice, the year's shortest day. Its subsequent flight is scheduled for 21 June, also known as the Summer Solstice, when the Sun will shine at its peak brightness.

The Indian Air Force has incorporated HAPS into a 'Make I project' by the Government of India, which is valued at Rs 1,000 crore. This indicates that the government will provide 70 percent of the project's funding.

Defence sources, expressing their enthusiasm to ThePrint about the NRT achievement, described it as the future of air warfare. They explained that the flight encompassed both daytime and nighttime flying, with the UAV harnessing solar energy for daytime travel and relying on its solar-charged battery for nocturnal flight.

While they declined to disclose the specific altitude at which the UAV operated, they revealed plans to eventually have it fly in the stratosphere, approximately 65,000 feet above regular air traffic.

To give you an idea, most commercial planes usually cruise at altitudes ranging from 31,000 to 38,000 feet, which is approximately 5.9 to 7.2 miles high.

Given that the HAPS is solar-powered, it has the capability to remain airborne for several months.

The HAPS UAV represents a fresh category of solar-powered platforms that are being developed globally to carry out continuous surveillance, communications, and specific scientific missions.

The project has secured the support of both the IAF and the Navy, who are interested in procuring this capability not only for immediate needs but also for future requirements.

The National Aerospace Laboratories in India, which operates under the government's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, is also engaged in a similar project. However, the specifics of its progress remain undisclosed.