The would-be world-beating flight of Airbus Zephyr S

Electronic Specifier’s recent coverage of this UAV, or unmanned aerial vehicle (called the Airbus Zephyr S), explained that the solar-powered aircraft had not only beaten Airbus’s original record for how long UAV could remain airborne without a pilot – but thrashed it. Before the Airbus achieved this breakthrough, it had a place in the Guinness World Records for lasting just under 26 days, whereas the Zephyr S lasted an outstanding 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes, and 5 seconds.

To many, such success may make the recent news all the more of a shame: after lasting well over two months in the air under the watchful eyes of the U.S. Army, the Airbus Zephyr S came to an end. And according to numerous sources, it appears that the flight ended with a crash landing due to reporting made by the U.S. Army’s website. The official report of the aircraft’s termination does lack certainty, however, due to the U.S. Army’s description of the event as an “unexpected termination of [the] flight” that is currently being investigated.

As Michael Monteleone, Director of the U.S. Army’s APNT (Alternative Positioning, Navigation, and Timing)/Space Cross-Functional Team was quoted on Monday, the 22nd of August:

“Our team is working hard to gather and analyse important data following the unexpected termination of this flight. Despite this event, the Army and its partners have gleaned invaluable data and increased knowledge on the endurance, efficiency, and station-keeping abilities of high-altitude UAS [unmanned aerial systems] platforms.

“That knowledge will allow us to continue to advance requirements for reliable, modernised stratospheric capabilities to our soldiers.”

Although the way in which Airbus Zephyr S reached its untimely end may be unclear, a termination so sudden that it could be linked to a crash landing may be likely. The aircraft was after all equipped to last even (and far) longer than 64 days owing to its power capabilities. As covered on Electronic Specifier in July, the UAV was designed to be charged in the day and remain fully operational at night due to its solar-powered lithium-sulphur batteries.

Such a sudden crash may at any rate be more likely than it sounds, as the aircraft was equipped to operate for even longer than two months. This is given that it was mounted with solar panels so that it was able to be charged in the day, and remain continuously operational through its solar-powered, lithium-sulphur batteries in the night. Such a system could have potentially enabled an indefinite time in the air if not for the unforeseen circumstances presently under investigation.

At any rate, what was successful about the Airbus Zephyr S was its breaking of records that are relevant to the specific nature of the flight: its flight time proved to be the most long-lasting that an unmanned aircraft has ever achieved (and it even flew to the highest altitude that an aircraft in its class has ever reached). ‘Unmanned’ is the operative word: if only the Zephyr S had stayed in the air for a matter of hours longer, it would have even beaten a manned flight. Enter the famous ‘Hacienda flight’, which was a world-beating stunt and endurance test that saw two pilots last in the air (accompanied by a truck whose occupants provided fuel) for 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds.

Nevertheless, falling just short of almost 65 days means that the Airbus Zephyr S is a clear winner of second place in the record for the longest ever aircraft flight in the world. And what’s more, the military has stressed the invaluable contributions that the UAV has made to aerospace, military, and communications research.

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