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Scientists at the CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) successfully tested an unmanned aerial vehicle, called High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS), at Challakere, Karnataka earlier this month.
HAPs 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 on end.
High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS)
High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS) are long-endurance, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that fly in the stratosphere.
Its placed between 17 and 22 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
This altitude is much higher than commercial airplanes, which typically fly at around 10 kilometers, and lower than traditional satellites, which orbit at hundreds or thousands of kilometers.
HAPS can use a variety of technologies to stay aloft, including:
Solar power: Many HAPS designs use solar panels to generate electricity, which powers propellers or other mechanisms to keep them airborne.
Aerodynamic lift: Some HAPS use wings to generate lift, similar to airplanes.
Aerostatic lift: Other HAPS use helium or other lighter-than-air gases to provide lift, similar to balloons.
What are the benefits of HAPS?
HAPS offer several potential benefits over traditional satellites and other communication systems:
Lower cost: HAPS are generally cheaper to develop and launch than traditional satellites.
Wider coverage: HAPS can provide coverage to a larger area than a single cell tower or ground station.
Persistent coverage: HAPS can stay in one location for much longer periods than satellites, which orbit the Earth.
Flexibility: HAPS can be more easily moved to new locations than traditional infrastructure.
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