Commercialising the Stratosphere
Speaker
Dr Philipp Sueltrop
Institute
Chief Technical Officer Kea Aerospace Christchurch, NZ
Time & Place
Fri, 06 Mar 2020 14:00:00 NZDT in Link 309 Lecture Theatre
Abstract
The Christchurch based startup Kea Aerospace is developing a solar powered High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS). With a wing span of over 25m it would be the largest unmanned aircraft designed in the Southern Hemisphere.
Kea's HAPS, the Kea Atmos, will fly for weeks in the Stratosphere at a flight altitude of over 60,000ft and will provide a flexible platform for different payloads as multi-spectral cameras or communication systems as well as for payload testing.
This seminar will cover the idea behind this project to commercialise the stratosphere, the technology demonstrator Kea Explorer that was developed during the NZ Aerospace Challenge 2019 and future technical challenges.