Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Aerospace
  • /
  • Airbus Zephyr Solar HAPS completes 2021 summer test flights

Aerospace Defence Security

Airbus Zephyr Solar HAPS completes 2021 summer test flights

The Airbus Zephyr Solar High Altitude Platform System (HAPS) has completed a successful 2021 test flight campaign in the United States.

Image copyright Airbus

The final Airbus solar-powered High Altitude Platform System (HAPS) flight touched down on 13th September in Arizona, USA, ending the most ambitious and successful Zephyr flight campaign to date.

The flight campaign had a clear customer focus - to demonstrate how Zephyr could be used for future operations, flying outside of restricted airspace and over airspace shared with commercial air traffic. Carrying an Optical Advanced Earth Observation system for Zephyr (OPAZ) payload, Zephyr proved its operational value to provide instant, persistent, and improved situational awareness.

Advertisement
Teledyne

James Gavin, Future Capability Group Head at Defence Equipment & Support, the procurement arm of the UK Ministry of Defence said: “Working with Airbus and the Zephyr team during the 2021 flight campaign, significant progress has been made towards demonstrating HAPS as a capability. This summer’s activities represent an important step towards operationalising the stratosphere."
 
“Defence investment in cutting edge technology is key to the development of world-leading military capabilities. Zephyr is an important programme within UK Strategic Command and the recent successful flight has required many innovative technical solutions. This represents a significant milestone for Zephyr which is informing the development of new concepts and ways of enabling military operations, particularly in the context of Multi-Domain Integration.”  Said Major General Rob Anderton-Brown, Director Capability and MDI Change Programme at Strategic Command.

The campaign consisted of six flights in total, four low level test flights and two stratospheric flights. The stratospheric flights flew for around 18 days each, totaling more than 36 days of stratospheric flight in the campaign.  This adds a further 887 flight hours to the 2,435 stratospheric flight hours for Zephyr to date, marks significant progress for fixed wing HAPS and is a step towards making the stratosphere an operational reality for its customers.

“Credible and proven ultra-persistence, stratospheric agility, and payload interoperability underscore why Zephyr is the leader in its sector. It is a sustainable, solar powered, ISR and network extending solution that can provide vital future connectivity and earth observation to where it is needed.” said Jana Rosenmann, Head of Unmanned Aerial Systems at Airbus.

Such an innovative and potentially game-changing capability is part of Airbus ambition to rapidly move towards operationalising the stratosphere. The 'Carbon Neutral' Zephyr uses sunlight to fly and recharge its batteries, using no fuel and producing no carbon emissions.

With its ability to remain in the stratosphere for months at a time, Zephyr will bring new see, sense and connect capabilities to both commercial and military customers. Zephyr will provide the potential to revolutionise disaster management, including monitoring the spread of wildfires or oil spills. It provides persistent surveillance, tracing the world’s changing environmental landscape and will be able to provide communications to the most unconnected parts of the world.

Advertisement
DSEI 2025

 

 

Advertisement
Cranfield University
Lars Wagner to become CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft

Aerospace

Lars Wagner to become CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft

10 July 2025

Lars Wagner, currently Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTU Aero Engines AG, based in Munich, will join the Airbus Executive Committee and succeed Christian Scherer as CEO of the Commercial Aircraft business, effective 1st January 2026.

Avelia to transform into multiple SAF supplier solution

Aerospace

Avelia to transform into multiple SAF supplier solution

10 July 2025

One of the largest suppliers of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Shell Aviation, along with Accenture and American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), has announced today that Avelia is in the process of evolving into an industry solution with independent data hosting and a multisupplier model helping users access the greenhouse gas (GHG) ...

AI firms collaborate with Heathrow to enhance operations

Aerospace

AI firms collaborate with Heathrow to enhance operations

9 July 2025

Heathrow is harnessing advanced technology to make aircraft ground operations faster, smarter and more seamless across 116 gates at Terminals Two, Three and Five, as part of a strategic collaboration with IAG and Assaia.

Viasat test boosts business jet in-flight connectivity

Aerospace

Viasat test boosts business jet in-flight connectivity

8 July 2025

Viasat today announced a milestone for its JetXP business aviation in-flight broadband service, following recent test flights that successfully connected the Global Aero Terminal (GAT) 5510 to a ViaSat-3 satellite for the first time.

Advertisement
Gulfstream RT
ST Engineering Antycip’s Merlin MP521 advances student innovation

Aerospace

ST Engineering Antycip’s Merlin MP521 advances student innovation

8 July 2025

Khalifa University of Science and Technology today announced major student and faculty achievements resulting from the use of ST Engineering Antycip’s Merlin MP521 Flight Simulator, which provides hands-on experience in aircraft design and performance evaluation, directly contributing to a growing body of student-led research and academic ...

Birmingham Airport sees busiest ever June

Aerospace

Birmingham Airport sees busiest ever June

8 July 2025

Birmingham Airport (BHX) has had its busiest June ever, with a record 1,360,957 passengers travelling through the airport last month.

Advertisement
ODU RT