Context: 

The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) completed the first test of a solar-powered “High Altitude Pseudo Satellite Vehicle”.

National Aerospace Laboratories Successfully Conducts First Test Flight of Solar-Powered Pseudo Satellite Vehicle

• During the test flight conducted at the Challakere testing range in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka, a modified 23-kg prototype with a wing span of roughly 12 meters was in the air for approximately eight and a half hours.
• It reached a height of about 3 km above the ground.

About HAPS: High Altitude Pseudo Satellite Vehicle

• It is a new-age unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can hold a fixed position. 
• Operational height: HAPS operate in the stratosphere, closer to Earth than many satellites but further up than drones and conventional aircraft.
  • It can fly at altitudes of 18-20 km from the ground, almost double the heights attained by commercial airplanes.

Significance Of HAPS Technology

• HAPS Technology Development: HAPS is a developing technology. India’s successful test flight puts it among the few countries exploring this technology.
  • NASA has been using solar-powered engines for its Pathfinder series of aircraft for a long time.
  • China, South Korea, and the UK are some of the other countries where this development is taking place. 
  • Some private companies are also developing HAPS, even in India.
• Solar Power Sustainability: HAPS can stay aloft for extended periods due to its solar power generation capability. Offers satellite-like advantages of long-term aerial presence.

• Cost Efficiency: No need for space launch via rocket. Operating costs of HAPS are significantly lower than those of satellites orbiting at least 200 km above Earth.`
• Border Surveillance Requirement: High-altitude flying instruments are needed for continuous border monitoring. Particularly crucial during events like the Doklam standoff in 2017.
• Limitations of Current Surveillance Methods: Battery-powered UAVs have limited airtime and coverage. Satellites in low-earth orbits are not always observed constantly due to orbit movement.
• Benefits of HAPS: Useful in disaster situations. It can provide mobile communications in remote areas post-calamity when normal networks are damaged.

News Source: Indian Express