Never landing UAV

The company's philosophy is that such an atmosphere satellites orbiting satellites will be able to perform most tasks: atmospheric observations and weather monitoring, communications relay, ocean research and Earth-imaging. And it can accomplish other tasks are powerless space satellites, such as border security, maritime traffic monitoring, anti-piracy operations, disaster response and agricultural observations. In addition, Solara's life up to five years and a lot of small satellites comparable life, making them one of these applications become more attractive option (not to mention if the sensor or instrument is broken, but also Let them fall, and then re-launch).

Titans chief electrical engineer Dustin Sanders said: "To hire costly satellite services. Launch satellites will cost billions of dollars and we want to develop is only one million U.S. dollars per aircraft class platform, and this platform operating costs almost zero - just not much money to spend to understand the actual load conditions to ensure that this UAV will not go wrong. "

While other long-endurance UAV concept of solar energy - including aviation Environmental Corp. (Aerovironment) "Global Observer" (Global Observer) and QinetiQ (a British defense technology company - Annotation) for the Boeing Company (Boeing) show the development of the concept of machine "westerly" (Zephyr) - failed to create long-life atmosphere Titans envisaged satellite, but Titan's engineers believe they have based on previous efforts to solve some difficult problems. For example, Solara 50 and Solara 60 wingspan of up to more than 160 feet of wing densely covered with advanced flexible solar panels, which provide enough power not only used for day and night flight (battery power during the day and stored for use at night), but also sufficient for weighing up to 70 pounds of sensors and instrumentation.

However, it may not be the most critical flight way, but in the end it where to fly. In order to maintain such a long flight time, this vehicle the best position in the atmosphere is called the tropopause flight. This area of ​​about 65,000 feet from sea level (that is, 12 mile), wind is typically less than 5. Titan's engineers say that this airspace is relatively calm, and well above the turbulence, or other matters that affect their flight performance of inclement weather, Solara in which you can fly for five years. Tropopause weather will damage under ordinary aircraft, it is more crucial for the Solara also that it would obscure the sun, so far above the tropopause this weather flight Solara is not easy to damage.

Titan's engineers say, because this aircraft mechanical structure is simple, but there is enough solar module to drive it long run, so now the factors that limit the length of flight is only the battery. The battery will be aging over time, it must be replaced every few years. To demonstrate this problem, the company now with two fifth the size of the test machine test - while postponing the B round of financing - to the spring or summer of next year when God will make full-size models.

Sanders said the company delivered the first aircraft when - the earliest end of next year - perhaps solar panels and battery technology has greatly improved, allowing for longer aircraft or carry larger loads. He said: "We are committed to this goal developed the simplest, most lightweight solution while trying to avoid overly complex. This is to let this UAV affordable while being able to fly non-stop for several years the key. "