The AALTO Zephyr is the most persistent fixed-wing High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) on the planet, capable of flying in the stratosphere for days, weeks, months at a time.

Uniting the best of technological development in battery and solar cell technology, Zephyr is a solar-powered unmanned aerial system, with secondary batteries that recharge during the day to enable night flight.

Flying within an operating layer positioned between satellites and conventional aircraft, Zephyr delivers the best of both worlds; long-endurance operations, combined with precision, high-resolution surveillance, and operational flexibility.

Zephyr can enable a high-quality see & sense capability, or deliver a low-latency, direct-to-device connectivity service. As it is a payload-agnostic platform, AALTO can also integrate suitable alternative payloads.

With Zephyr-enabled stratospheric capabilities, AALTO is proud to be a leader in stratospheric flight, and technologies; paving the way towards a future of stratospheric possibilities.

Using a stratosphere-proven, best-in-class Airbus Defence and Space optical system, Zephyr delivers multiple sensors to see the world with; including a wide-view 1000km², 10m resolution; a very-high-quality 18cm in-focus view of the ground, and more.

© Airbus DS 2018 - view from Airbus Zephyr.

Equipped with a connectivity payload, Zephyr can become a "tower in the sky". With a coverage footprint estimated at 7,500sqkm, and a latency of less than 10 milliseconds; Zephyr offers a new layer of connectivity for government applications, and commercial connectivity providers.

As a leader in the High Altitude Platform Station market segment, AALTO is keen to work with government customers to understand how Zephyr-enabled capabilities can support customer requirements; and deliver bespoke, modular and effects-based mission solutions.