Airbus Defence and Space has been awarded a contract by the British Ministry of Defense for two solar-powered Zephyr 8 unmanned high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) craft.
"Flying at some 65,000 feet, the ultra-lightweight Zephyr 8 is uniquely capable of providing persistent surveillance over land or sea, and hosting communications links, over the same area for months at a time without landing," according to an Airbus news release.
The previous Zephyr 7 set a world record by flying for 14 continuous days in 2010. The Zephyr 8 has a wingspan of 25 meters versus 22.5 meters for the Zephyr 7. The Zephyr 8 is also 30 percent lighter and has 50 percent more battery power. It is designed to fly for a month.
The first Zephyr 8 is scheduled to fly in mid-2017.
"The precise purposes for which the UK MoD will use its Zephyrs have not been disclosed," Airbus said.
