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London (pte042/25.06.2003/16:51) - Zephyr-3, a solar-fuelled propeller aircraft, may soon be soaring at the dizzying altitude of 40 kilometres. According to BBC-Online http://news.bbc.co.uk , the British manufacturers QinetiQ want to test the limits of flight technology. Up to now only the Space Shuttle and experimental rocket planes have reached this altitude.
The makers of Zephyr-3, QinetiQ http://www.qinetiq1.com , have announced that the craft will take a photo of a helium-filled digital balloon once it reaches the desired altitude, but that it is destined to become more than just a high-flying camera. The British firm would like to see these environmentally friendly, propeller-driven planes become permanent "stations" in the sky. They could then take over the functions of satellites, such as mobile communications and environmental monitoring, or serve a military purpose.
The biggest challenge for these solar-powered planes will of course be to keep them afloat at night. The scientists have already had to develop a special grease to protect the motor against extreme temperature changes.
NASA is also working on a similar aeroplane called Helio, which has already reached an altitude of 29 kilometres but appears to have reached its limit. Zephyr-3 is smaller and lighter, and therefore stands a better chance of going higher.
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