On Thursday, Facebook gave an update on their ambitious solar powered drone. The unmanned vehicle which is solar powered and has the wingspan of a Boeing 767. Facebook has successfully tested their drone and this was explained by Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer during a conference in San Francisco.
The first flight was a success and may open up a completely new market for Facebook to tap into. TechCrunch has named the drone Aquila, according to their report; the UAV weighs under a ton and uses solar power to stay in the air for more than 3 months at a time. The drone will be able give internet access to people from 60.000 to 90,000 feet below and will be able to communicate with other Facebook drones for the purpose of increasing the coverage.
We don’t know what inspired Mark Zuckerburg to venture in this market, technically it is a niche. While drones have been used for many purposes, never have anyone dreamed of something as ambitious as this. To connect everyone through a fleet of drones which circle the earth at 90,000 feet for three months at a time is FAR from being farfetched. Experts think that this is an ambitious idea but on the other hand, there are others who believe that this might be a revolutionary idea.
Facebook say they will conduct more drone tests this summer; they want Aquila to be big. Facebook said further that this technology will be revolutionary and will connect people together.