Google’s solar-powered Solara 50 drone has crashed landed in a New Mexico desert, putting a dent into the web giant’s plans to deliver internet to more of the world’s population. The unmanned Solara 50 built by Titan Aerospace, the company Google bought last year, crashed on May 1 shortly after takeoff at a test field […]
Google’s solar-powered Solara 50 drone has crashed landed in a New Mexico desert, putting a dent into the web giant’s plans to deliver internet to more of the world’s population.
The unmanned Solara 50 built by Titan Aerospace, the company Google bought last year, crashed on May 1 shortly after takeoff at a test field east of Albuquerque. The incident was first reported by Bloomberg and confirmed Friday by Google.
“Titan has been working to develop and test a new kind of high-altitude, solar-powered aircraft that could one day provide Internet access from the stratosphere. Part of building a new technology is overcoming hurdles along the way,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to NBC News. “Although our prototype plane went down during a recent test, we remain optimistic about the potential of solar-powered planes to help deliver connectivity.”
Titan Aerospace says the final version will have a wingspan of 164 feet and cruise high above both clouds and normal air traffic, beaming signals to Earth like a satellite.
Its batteries are apparently designed to store enough electricity to keep the craft buzzing all night long and to stay aloft for up to 5 years.
The drone project is in its infancy and is one of two initiatives Google is working on to bring Internet access to remote areas of the world. The other is Project Loon, which involves the use of high-altitude balloons.
Facebook, which was reported to be interested in acquiring Titan Aerospace before Google’s bid, is also working on drones, as well as satellites and lasers, to deliver the Internet to the masses.
