China’s fully solar-powered, semi-satellite drone

Context

China’s first fully solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle has successfully completed its maiden test flight with all on-board systems functioning optimally.

• It had a smooth flight for 26 minutes and landed safely.
  
  

About the new machine

• With a wingspan of 164-ft, the drone is a large machine powered entirely by solar panels. 
• The high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV can stay airborne for long durations.
• It Named the Qimingxing-50, or Morning Star-50.
• This drone 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. 
• It can operate without a break for months, even years.

Cross between drone and satellite

• The fact that the drone can operate in near-space – 20 km to 100 km above the Earth’s surface – makes it capable of carrying out satellite-like functions. 
• If satellite services are not available for, say, time-sensitive operations or in case of wartime disruption, then near-space UAVs can step in to fill the operational gap. 
• These drones are also referred to as ‘High Altitude Platform Stations’ or pseudo-satellites. 
• China already has this capacity, but the Qimingxing-50’s long-endurance provides an added advantage to make this capability available over a longer period.
• In July this year, the US Army helped test a solar-powered, near-space Airbus Zephyr S drone that set a new record by being airborne for 42 days.
• Both these drones can undertake surveillance missions that require them to stay operational, watching over borders or oceans, for months.

Advantages

• Drones like the Morning Star-50 are cost-effective to build and are also easy to launch and operate. 
• Being entirely powered by clean energy from the Sun, the present one can help boost China’s capabilities to operate in near-space and over the ocean. 
• This HALE UAV is capable of conducting high-altitude reconnaissance, apart from monitoring forest fires, providing communication and environment relay.