Flight

Stratospheric EuroHAPS Programme Kicks Off

How the Stratobus works.

Since 2016 the Stratobus has been under development by Thales Alenia Space. The Stratobus is a solar powered stratospheric airship. It is approximately 140 meters (459 feet) long. It is powered by really big solar arrays. It has four main electric motors. It is durable as it can carry 250 kg.

Thales Alenia has spent over 43 million Euros on this project to see the Stratobus fly high in the sky. So high that it has the capability to fly at heights of over. The Stratobus has the capability of soaring 18 to 20km (11 to 12 miles).

The Stratobus was thought of in France in 2010, but later bought by Thales and put under development in 2016. Engineers have finished developing the airships envelope and flexible solar concentrator, envelope tear technology for safety aspects, and high-efficiency propulsion system. However ,the Stratobus has not had a full-scale demonstrator, and has yet to be flown. The stratobus is only expected to last for five years going on an expected one mission per year.

Recently since the spy balloon was sent by China in January of 2023 (Later shot down by the American military), there has been more interest for stratospheric projects such as the stratobus. The Stratobus is a little different because it is like half-drone, half-satellite.

The Stratobus is very futuristic because it’s a stratospheric flying machine that isn’t like the rest. Nowadays it’s really expensive to start these kind of projects that aren’t generic and could fail.

How does the Stratobus deal with the wind?

The four electric motors are made to deal with wind speeds up to 90 miles per hour.

Who will pilot the Stratobus?

The Stratobus is piloted by a GPS navigation system.

Can the Stratobus sleep and drift in the air?

Although that would be cool, it’s electric system working 24/7.