Zephyr 7 HAPS flies for 11 days non-stop
The Zephyr 7 High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) has reached a number of new programme milestones, completing an 11 day non-stop flight in winter weather conditions with a new primary payload, as part of tests for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). Airbus Defence and Space made the announcement on 28 August.
The test also saw Zephyr 7’s flight controlled and monitored via satellite communications (SATCOM) for the first time.
Zephyr 7 HAPS runs exclusively on solar power, which is used during the day to charge a battery that is used to power the flight through the night. This flight, conducted in the Southern Hemisphere in winter conditions with shorter days and longer nights, was significantly more demanding than any previous test flight.
The programme also reached an important milestone in its regulatory roadmap. The flight was approved in controlled airspace, which required the close cooperation of the Military Aviation Authority (MAA), the Type Airworthiness Authority (TAA) and the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) team of the MoD Defence Equipment and Support Group, leading to the Zephyr 7 being assigned its military registration, PS001 – the first Pseudo-Satellite registered.
Group Captain Paul Lloyd of the TAA said: ‘This is the first time that the UK’s military aviation authorities have expanded our well-proven procedures and regulations into the domain of these novel, long-duration pseudo-satellites. It has been both instructive and encouraging to see how effectively the regulations and the Airbus approach to Zephyr were brought together to enable such an operation.’
Jens Federhen, head of the Airbus D&S HAPS programme, added: ‘The use of the SatCom link to control the aircraft beyond line of sight of the ground station is another critical aspect that we needed to test to move towards a pseudo-satellite form of operation where the Zephyrs can be controlled across the world from a central control station.’
This most recent flight allowed over 250 hours of flight testing of the Zephyr 7 prototype, which will now be used to refine the final design of Zephyr 8, the next-generation HAPS vehicle currently being developed by Airbus D&S.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
![US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet]()
US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet
The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.
-
![Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems]()
Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems
As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.
-
![Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences]()
Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences
Advancements in air defence technologies have begun to reshape aerial combat dynamics in the Middle East, as illustrated by recent events involving the Israeli Air Force and Hezbollah.
-
![Hundreds more UAS sent to Ukraine forces with thousands more on the way]()
Hundreds more UAS sent to Ukraine forces with thousands more on the way
Both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war have been using UAS for effective low-cost attacks, as well as impactful web and social media footage. Thousands more have now been committed to Ukrainian forces.
-
![AI and software companies selected for US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle subsystems]()
AI and software companies selected for US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle subsystems
The US Army has intentions to develop light, medium and heavy variants of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) as part of the branche’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle family.
