High altitude pseudo satellites (HAPS), aka high-altitude platform systems, are back in the news, this time thanks to a deal affecting India.
Mira Aerospace, a joint venture between geospatial intelligence company Bayanat and UAVOS, a developer and manufacturer of security and commercial solutions based on advanced unmanned systems, along with VEDA Aeronautics, an Indian aerospace and defence company also involved in unmanned systems, have announced a collaboration to deliver what they describe as the world’s most advanced HAPS solutions designed for the Indian market.
Through this collaboration Mira Aerospace says it will pair its cutting-edge ApusNeo HAPS technology with VEDA Aeronautics' local development capabilities. The offering will be available to both Indian defence and civilian clients.
Under this agreement, the companies have committed to deliver a HAPS platform specific to the Indian market within the first half of 2024. Mira Aerospace and VEDA Aeronautics previously performed test flights in the Indian airspace, where the technology demonstrator HAPS unit flew in the Indian stratosphere. This test continues to be the only such flight in India to date.
VEDA Aeronautics has recently participated in the Make-1 project, an initiative launched and funded by the Indian Air Force, where the company looks to design and develop a HAPS solution capable of carrying a minimum 35 kilogram payload and sustaining operations at an 18,000 metre altitude for a minimum of 30-45 days.
Under the Make-1 project, the HAPS developed through the partnership with Mira Aerospace could potentially be used for strategic persistent monitoring of the Indian borders.
