Facebook has successfully completed the first full-scale test flight of its solar-powered drone called Aquila, the company announced. The drone is part of a mission to bring internet to billions of unconnected people in remote areas.
The aircraft flew over Yuma, Arizona. The test flight lasted 96 minutes, three times longer than what the company had actually planned for. “Our original mission was to fly Aquila for 30 minutes, but things went so well that we decided to keep the plane up for 96 minutes. We gathered lots of data about our models and the aircraft structure — and after two years of development, it was emotional to see Aquila actually get off the ground,” notes Facebook chief executive officer, Mark Zuckerberg.
The company’s ultimate goal is to have a fleet of Aquila flying at 60,000ft for three months at a time. But to achieve that milestone, the company has to resolve a few shortcomings.
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