British engineers have successfully completed a stratospheric flight trial of BAE Systems’ High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) - PHASA-35, it has been announced today (14 July).<br /><br />Over a 24-hour period, PHASA-35, which has a 35-metre wingspan, soared to more than 66,000 feet, reaching the stratosphere, before landing successfully.<br /><br />BAE say the aircraft has the potential to provide a persistent and stable platform for various uses including "ultra-long endurance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as security". <br /><br />The trial, completed last month in New Mexico in the USA, allowed engineers to assess the performance of the experimental solar-electric drone within the outer-reaches of the planet’s atmosphere.<br /><br />The flight marks a significant milestone in PHASA-35’s development [which began in 2018]. Designed by BAE Systems’ subsidiary Prismatic Ltd to operate above the weather and conventional air traffic, it has the potential to provide a persistent and stable platform for various uses including ultra-long endurance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as security. <br /><br />It also has the potential to be used in the delivery of communications networks including 4G and 5G and could be used in a wide range of applications, such as disaster relief and border protection, as an alternative to traditional airborne and satellite systems.<br /><br />The PHASA-35 programme sits within FalconWorks, a new centre for advanced and agile research and development within BAE Systems’ Air sector, designed to deliver a range of cutting-edge combat air capabilities to the UK and its allies. <br /><br />PHASA-35, which carries a 15kg payload, uses a range of world-leading technologies including advanced composites, energy management, solar electric cells and photo-voltaic arrays to provide energy during the day which is stored in rechargeable cells to maintain flight overnight. <br /><br />The successful trial assessed the performance of the experimental system across a range of areas. It is the first in a series of trials planned to confirm system performance, support development activities and validate test points to enable PHASA-35 to be made available in defence and commercial markets internationally.
