Drones

British MoD Acquires Solar-Powered Zephyr UAV

The British Ministry of Defence purchased a solar-powered UAV capable of flying almost on the edge of space.

Two of the Zephyr 8 machines built by Airbus Defence and Space were acquired for operational concept demonstration work by the British, the MoD will announce Thursday.

Powered by the sun, the vehicle, known officially as a high-altitude pseudo-satellite, is capable of flying for more than a month at an altitude of between 65,000 feet and 70,000 feet.