CSIR tests High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS)

According to media reports scientists at the CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) have successfully tested an unmanned aerial vehicle, called HAPS recently. HAPSs are like drones, except that they are expected to be in the stratosphere – well above where commercial planes fly – and can be powered enough by solar cells and a battery-system to be able to hover for days. A fully working HAPS can be used for a variety of applications, from surveillance to beaming 5G waves. They can double up as “towers in the sky” and have more flexibility than satellites, in being able to map a piece of land from above. CSIR-NAL aims to design and build the HAPS’ propellers, battery management system, carbon-composite airframe, flight-control system, and the high-powered electric motors that can withstand extreme temperature ranges.