The Weekly Debrief: Zephyr Loss Proves Stratospheric Flights Remain Challenge

Zephyr aircraft
The latest Zephyr loss came during demonstrations for the U.S. Army. The 64-day flight included a crossing of the Gulf of Mexico and operations over Belize before a return to airspace over Arizona.
Credit: Airbus Defense and Space
You can imagine the frustration of Airbus’ engineers. Just hours before the company’s Zephyr high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) looked set to break a 60-year-old flight-duration record, the solar-powered uncrewed aircraft system was lost. The Zephyr had been in the air for 64 days when it...

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The Weekly Debrief: Zephyr Loss Proves Stratospheric Flights Remain Challenge is published in Advanced Air Mobility Report, an Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) Market Briefing and is included with your AWIN Premium membership.

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