SOURCE: AFI
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) celebrated India’s Technology Day in style with a record-breaking achievement by their High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAP) vehicle. This innovative aircraft successfully reached a new altitude of 25,000 feet above sea level, a significant milestone in its development.
HAPs are essentially long-endurance drones designed to operate in the stratosphere, the layer of the atmosphere above commercial airliners. Powered by solar cells and advanced battery systems, they have the potential to stay aloft for months, even years, offering capabilities similar to satellites but at a fraction of the cost and complexity.
This recent achievement by CSIR-NAL marks a significant leap forward in India’s HAP development program. It places India amongst a select group of nations actively pioneering this groundbreaking technology.
With this successful test flight, CSIR-NAL has proven the capabilities of their HAP design. The next steps will likely involve further refinement, potentially including extended flight duration and payload capacity tests. The ultimate goal is to transition this technology from prototype to operational deployment.