DRDO Conducts Maiden Trial of Stratospheric Airship Platform
In News
What Happened
Why It Matters
Background
History & Context
What Changed
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BEFORE: India's persistent surveillance relied primarily on expensive, unrecoverable orbital satellites or tethered aerostats restricted to low altitudes (under 5 km). NOW: The SAP operates untethered at 17 km in the stratosphere, providing satellite-like coverage with the ability to be recovered, maintained, and reused.
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BEFORE: Long-endurance aerial surveillance was limited by the fuel capacity and aerodynamic constraints of conventional UAVs (drones). NOW: The SAP relies on aerostatic lift (buoyancy) rather than fuel-burning aerodynamic lift, allowing it to remain stationed over a specific area for weeks or months.
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BEFORE: Weather events significantly degraded continuous aerial surveillance missions in the troposphere. NOW: By operating at 17 km (stratosphere), the platform largely sits above terrestrial weather phenomena like storms and strong jet streams, ensuring stable ISR operations.
Prelims Angle
NCERT Connection
Practice Questions
Q1
Correct Statement(s)Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Stratospheric Airship Platform (SAP) recently tested by DRDO? 1. It generates lift primarily through the aerodynamic design of its wings, similar to conventional drones. 2. It is designed to function as a High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) for continuous Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR).