The Kea Atmos Mk1b. Photo: Kea Areospace/Facebook
A solar-powered drone has made it to the stratosphere while only using as much power as a hairdryer.
The drone, the Kea Atmos Mk1b, was launched by New Zealand company Kea Aerospace and reached an altitude of 56,000 feet (equivalent to 17 kilometres) after it was launched within Kea Aerospace's Special Use Airspace south of Banks Peninsula on February 8.
Kea Aerospace chief executive Mark Rocket told Morning Report the flight was a significant milestone for the company after they had been working on the project for a number of years.
"We're one of only a few companies around the world that are operating solar powered aircraft in the stratosphere."
The drone - with a wingspan of 12.5 metres - was to be used for earth observations including environmental monitoring, disaster response and a range of commercial applications.
Rocket said the drone would offer a really important new element to earth observation and there was demand internationally, as well as locally, for the drone.
"We've got our first international customer that we are working with at the moment. We've also got government agencies around the world that we are talking to.
"We sort of sit in the sweet spot between satellites, which are orbiting, typically, between 400-plus kilometres above the earth. We will be sort of operating around that 17-to-20 kilometre range."
Rocket explained the lightness of the drone meant it could get up into the stratosphere and above the weather.
"Using solar power, it is a very light glider-type aircraft, even though the wingspan is 12 and a half metres, it actually weighs less than 40kgs."
The aircraft 'spirals' up to the stratosphere at 50-100 kmph, with the journey taking roughly five hours.
"We take off around dawn, and land around dusk. This mark one version is just designed for these one-day flights, but the next version - the mark two - will allow us to fly for months at a time."
Rocket said the design process for the mach two has begun, but it would be another couple of years until the first flight.
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