FB solar drone to power 4bn new net users

“After two years of engineering, I’m proud to announce the successful first flight of Aquila -- the solar-powered plane we designed to beam internet to remote parts of the world,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a post on Thursday. The flight took place before dawn in Yuma, Arizona, on June 28. 

“On June 28, we completed the first successful flight of Aquila -- our solar-powered plane that will beam internet to remote parts of the world and eventually break the record for longest unmanned aircraft flight,” Zuckerberg added.

Aquila has a wingspan wider than a Boeing 737 but has to weigh as little as possible to stay up for as long as possible. The body of the plane is made of a carbon fibre composite so the whole thing weighs less than 1,000 pounds or about the same as a grand piano. “When complete, Aquila will be able to circle a region up to 96 km in diameter, beaming connectivity down from an altitude of more than 60,000 feet using laser communications and millimeter wave systems,” said Jay Parikh, Global Head of Engineering and Infrastructure at Facebook. 

“Over the next year we’re going to keep testing Aquila -- flying higher and longer, and adding more planes and payloads. It’s all part of our mission to connect the world and help more of the 4 billion people who are not online access all the opportunities of the internet,” Zuckerberg pointed out.