Study reveals battery performance targets for solar stratospheric aircraft.
Study reveals battery performance targets for solar stratospheric aircraft.
A sleek, pilotless, solar-powered airplane that soars through the atmosphere to monitor climate or track wildfires was once just an idea.
Now, these high-altitude specialty aircraft are advancing from early prototyping demonstrations towards potential commercial applications, supported by decades of research and development involving Harvard scientists, aerospace engineers, and industry collaborators.
In a new paper published in ACS Energy Letters, researchers in the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), in collaboration with partners in industry and the University of Michigan, lay out a pathway to clearing the most significant hurdle still facing extended solar flight: battery performance.
Read More: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Image: Solar aircraft can fly through the stratosphere to collect atmospheric and climate data. (Credit: Electra Aero)
