Solar-driven drone under development

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, a major space contractor, is experimenting with solar-powered drone technology that will eventually become a vast network facilitating emergency communications and ground observation, according to a project leader.

Zhang Hongwen, president of the CASIC Third Academy in Beijing, said his academy has made "satisfactory advances" in the Feiyun program, which aims to build a solar-powered drone-based network capable of providing long-term telecommunications as well as internet and ground observation services from near space.

He said the academy carried out more than 100 test flights of its solar-powered unmanned aircraft in 2018 and determined the drone's design as well as the capabilities of equipment mounted on the drone during the flights.