In News
- China’s first fully solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle has successfully completed its maiden test flight with all onboard systems functioning optimally.
About Qimingxing-50 or Morning Star-50
- It is a large machine powered entirely by solar panels and has wingspan of 164-ft
- The high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV can stay airborne for long durations.
- It flies above 20-km altitude where there is stable airflow with no clouds.
- This helps these drones to make the maximum use of solar equipment to stay functional for extended durations.
- The drone can operate in near-space – 20 km to 100 km above the Earth’s surface – making it capable of carrying out satellite-like functions.
- It is capable of conducting high-altitude reconnaissance, apart from monitoring forest fires, providing communication and environment relay.
Source: IE
