High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) - PERPETUAL REDEFINED

A High-Altitude Platform or HAP is essentially an unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV, stationed at a height of 20km in the stratosphere, as part of a telecommunication or earth observation network. This altitude is chosen so as to be above flight corridors and above the weather. HAPS will be vital for India’s vast and diverse landscape, enhancing strategic capabilities and boosting security. A scaled-down HAPS with 5m long and 11m wingspan was flown at an altitude of 3km for about 8 hours duration. A full-scale HAPS with 30m wingspan is scheduled to fly at an altitude of 23km for an endurance of 90 hours by 2027.

Objectives:

• Border patrolling and surveillance over sensitive and remote terrains
• To provide persistent aerial coverage for military and civil applications
• Serve as a telecommunication relay and meteorological platform.

Specification: 

• Wing Span - 37.05 m
• Max. Altitude - 20 km
• MTOW - 165 kg
• Payload - 15 kg
• Endurance - 90 days

• Defence: Border surveillance, intelligence gathering, disaster response.
• Meteorology: Radiosonde deployment, monsoon cloud measurements.
• Telecommunications: Temporary or mobile 5G connectivity in remote or disaster-hit areas.
• Geoinformatics: Real-time mapping, environmental monitoring.
• Crowd Monitoring: Public safety during large events or protests.

• Solar-Powered Platform: Enables extended, high-endurance flight.
• Certified Autopilot System: Fully autonomous flight with fail-safe algorithms and redundant control sensors.
• Altitude Achieved: Up to 24,000 ft (FL240) in recent tests and full-scale version can operate at 65,000 ft (20 km).
• Payload Capacity: Subscale – 1kg and Full-scale – 10kg (including radiosondes, 5G base stations).
• Endurance: 8.5+ hours in test flights and longer duration planned in final model.
• Wingspan: 12 metres (subscale model) and light-weight under 22kg.