The spy drone lurking above our heads: British-built solar powered aircraft can quietly cruise through the stratosphere for months at a time It looks like a cross between a toy airplane and a drone, but this British solar-powered aircraft could be the future of aerial surveillance.
This allows it to maintain flight for over a year operating in the stratosphere, lower than most satellites] Now, BAE Systems reveals that PHASA-35 has just completed a second round of test flights into the stratosphere – the second layer of Earth's atmosphere.
It is powered by the sun during the day and by batteries overnight, allowing it to maintain flight for over a year operating in the stratosphere, lower than most satellites.
PHASA-35, built by British company BAE Systems, is a 150kg solar-electric aircraft that can quietly cruise through the stratosphere for months at a time.
It harnesses power from the sun to stay airborne, charging a bank of small batteries during the day to keep it flying overnight.
