Soaring high

BAE Systems (Stands S4-200/240) has signed an agreement to acquire Prismatic, a company it has been working with to develop two unmanned high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) prototypes.

The initial teaming was announced in May 2018, since when the two companies have worked to produce two 35m wingspan solar-powered Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft-35 (PHASA-35) prototypes that are being readied at BAE’s Warton, Lancashire site, ahead of flight testing that is expected to take place in early 2020.

The acquisition is part of BAE’s strategy to invest in disruptive technologies, acquiring companies that develop complementary capabilities that can help to accelerate key technology developments. The investment in Prismatic will facilitate transitioning the technology to production, with a possibility that it could enter initial operations with customers within 12 months of flight trials, according to BAE.

HAPS aircraft are lightweight, ultra-long endurance aircraft that can fly at high altitudes, carrying out roles that are traditionally taken on by satellites, including persistent surveillance and communications relay.

PHASA-35, for example, has the potential to fly at altitudes of 65,000ft for more than a year, according to BAE, and weighs 150kg carrying a 15kg payload.

It is powered by the sun during the day, storing energy to power it at night, and has the potential to be used for the delivery of 5G networks, disaster relief and border protection without the associated costs of launching and operating a satellite.