A Closer Look At Aurora’s Solar Stratospheric Odysseus
Nov 22, 2018
Graham Warwick | Aviation Week & Space Technology
- NextPrev1 of 15Aurora Flight Sciences unveiled the 243-ft.-span Odysseus solar-powered stratospheric unmanned aircraft on Nov. 14. First flight is planned for April in Puerto Rico.
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Odysseus was rolled out of the leased hangar in Manassas, Virginia, where it is undergoing ground testing before being shipped by container to Puerto Rico for flight testing.
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Three fuselages distribute the loads from batteries, avionics, payloads and landing gear along the span of the wing to improve structural dynamic behavior.
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Aurora designed and built the custom brushless DC electric motors that power Odysseus’s six propellers, which are mounted on booms so they operate in clean air.
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The wing uses low-Reynolds-number airfoils optimized for low-speed, high-altitude flight and designed based on experience reaching back to MIT’s human-powered Daedalus.
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The air data system for the triplex, digital, autonomous flight-control system is designed at operate at low dynamic pressure while flying at low speed and high altitude.
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The horizontal and vertical tail surfaces on each of the three fuselages are all-moving and provide pitch and yaw control. Together, they warp the wing for roll control.
MorePhoto:Aurora Flight Sciences - NextPrev8 of 15Designed and produced by Aurora, the variable-pitch propellers use low-Reynolds-number airfoils optimized for efficient propulsion on solar power at high altitude.
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With a lightweight, flexible structure, the aircraft is mounted on a metal strongback while on the ground to support it and allow it to be maneuvered easily.
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Using the strongback, Odysseus is pushed out of the assembly hangar in Manassas for its public debut. The wheeled structure will also serve as the launch dolly.
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The wing is made in three sections, with field joins, for transportability, and has a light but strong structure comprising carbon-fiber-truss spars and ribs.
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Wing construction resembles that of a bridge, with expansion joints between glass-fiber upper surface panels to allow bending. The lower surface is Tedlar film.
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For launch, Odysseus will be towed by truck down the runway on its strongback, the aircraft autonomously releasing itself from the launch dolly when ready to lift off.
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The completed 243-ft.-span Odysseus sits on its strongback. The first aircraft is battery-powered for flight tests and has only one test strip of solar panels (black stripe).
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Odysseus displays its sheer scale as it is towed on its launch dolly. The aircraft will be shipped to Puerto Rico in the oversize yellow container seen in the background.
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With the ability to stay aloft above 65,000 ft. for up to three months, the first mission for Aurora Flight Sciences’ solar-powered Odysseus will be to take atmospheric measurements over the U.S. Midwest.
