Something big is coming in the drone world. Earlier this year Facebook unveiled plans for a series of drones that will bounce off internet signals all over the globe. These drones can hover in the upper atmosphere for 4 months at a time. They will surround the globe and provide an internet signal to their proximities. Sounds like futuristic fiction I know, but they are planning on making this a reality within the next decade.
Another drone concept is making news this week. This one seems to be one-upping Facebook’s massive internet-beaming drone idea by making this one stay longer in the air. Yes, this particular drone allegedly is capable of staying airborne for up to a year.
That is because of its body’s composition, made up mostly of solar panels. The drone will live off of the sun’s energy and recycling it into propulsion. This means that in theory, the drone only has to land for maintenance or repairs.
PHASA-35 Launching to the Skies by 2019:
And don’t blink as you may miss it. The company behind this idea say they can unleash it to the world by 2019. PHASA-35 may be what the future of drones looks like.
Created by BAE Systems and Prismatic, the PHASA-35 has a 35 meter wingspan and only weighs 150 kilograms. Unlike Facebook’s concept of a drone the size of a passenger airplane, this one is lightweight and small.
Again, the drone is still in its early stages and more details will follow in the near future. However for now we still do not know what the drone will be used for. We only know that the main selling point for the PHASA-35 is its longevity on the high atmosphere. It can be durable and self-sustaining for a year, which adds a lot of possibilities for its uses.
For now all we can do is wait, as this may just be the tip of the iceberg. Soon newer drone concepts may even dwarf this one’s capabilities.
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