UAVOS tests ApusNeo solar stratospheric aircraft at 14,500 meters altitude

UAVOS Inc. announced the completion of the first stratospheric flight of its ApusNeo high-altitude platform station (HAPS) in European airspace, reaching an altitude of 14,500 meters (approximately 47,600 feet) uavos.comuavos.comuavos.comOpen source ↗. The test took place at the Canarias Stratoport for HAPS & UAS, located at the Fuerteventura Technology Park in Spain, according to uavos.com. During the trial, the solar aircraft completed a continuous 28-hour mission designed to assess systems for wide-area observation and environmental monitoring.

Payload performance and telemetry

During the flight, the ApusNeo HAPS carried an Earth observation payload that included optical sensors, a high-resolution camera, and infrared equipment. The onboard systems transmitted sensor readings and imagery to the ground in real time. According to the company, the tests verified the platform's ability to conduct continuous environmental surveillance and ship tracking missions.

Airspace integration in Europe

The operation required direct coordination with ENAIRE, the national air navigation manager of Spain. The company stated that this coordination validated procedures for flying unmanned high-altitude platforms safely within European controlled airspace. UAVOS noted that the accumulated operational data will support regulatory integration for future prolonged environmental and wildfire response operations.