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Drones That May Fly ‘Indefinitely’ Can Be Recharged By Lasers
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/07/18/drones-that-may-fly-indefinitely-can-be-recharged-by-lasers/
Drones That May Fly ‘Indefinitely’ Can Be Recharged By Lasers
July 18, 2012 2:36 PM
LOS ANGELES (KNX 1070) — A recently
demonstrated breakthrough in technology
may help Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS),
better known as drones, stay airborne for
very long periods of time before having to
return to Earth.
This development comes at a time when the
U.S. government is actively encouraging the
domestic use of drones, first by law
enforcement, and later, by private concerns.
Lockheed Martin and a company called
LaserMotive have been able to keep a drone
flying for some 49 hours non-stop, using a
ground-based laser to recharge the drone’s
on board battery, says Tom Koonce, the
project manager for Lockheed Martin, in an
interview with KNX1070 Newsradio.
The test, says Koonce, was conducted in a
wind tunnel in Palmdale. The system will
very soon be tested in actual airspace in the
desert, requiring coordination with both the
FAA and NASA to keep the ground-based
laser from interfering with either
commercial aircraft or Earth-orbiting space
vehicles.
<snip>
Drones That May Fly ‘Indefinitely’ Can Be Recharged By Lasers
July 18, 2012 2:36 PM
LOS ANGELES (KNX 1070) — A recently
demonstrated breakthrough in technology
may help Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS),
better known as drones, stay airborne for
very long periods of time before having to
return to Earth.
This development comes at a time when the
U.S. government is actively encouraging the
domestic use of drones, first by law
enforcement, and later, by private concerns.
Lockheed Martin and a company called
LaserMotive have been able to keep a drone
flying for some 49 hours non-stop, using a
ground-based laser to recharge the drone’s
on board battery, says Tom Koonce, the
project manager for Lockheed Martin, in an
interview with KNX1070 Newsradio.
The test, says Koonce, was conducted in a
wind tunnel in Palmdale. The system will
very soon be tested in actual airspace in the
desert, requiring coordination with both the
FAA and NASA to keep the ground-based
laser from interfering with either
commercial aircraft or Earth-orbiting space
vehicles.
<snip>
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
http://inhabitat.com/sunseeker-ii-solar-powered-plane-takes-off/
The only manned solar-powered aircraft in the world, the Sunseeker II is slated to take off on a European flying tour after the popular e-flight expo on April 5th. Following the success of the Sunseeker I (the 2.5-horsepower predecessor that crossed the U.S. in 21 flights, with 121 hours in the air, in 1990), almost everything has been improved in both form and function, including wing modifications, an increase in surface area for solar cells, and lithium polymer batteries to improve performance.
Read more: Sunseeker II Solar Powered Plane Takes Off | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
The only manned solar-powered aircraft in the world, the Sunseeker II is slated to take off on a European flying tour after the popular e-flight expo on April 5th. Following the success of the Sunseeker I (the 2.5-horsepower predecessor that crossed the U.S. in 21 flights, with 121 hours in the air, in 1990), almost everything has been improved in both form and function, including wing modifications, an increase in surface area for solar cells, and lithium polymer batteries to improve performance.
Read more: Sunseeker II Solar Powered Plane Takes Off | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
