The giant autonomous SPY ship: Military firm reveals drone-satellite hybrid that will snoop on Earth from the stratosphere

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A Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer is developing an autonomous airship that could be the eye in the sky for government agencies.

Called Stratobus, the 100-meter-long, five-ton blimp is described as a mix 'between a drone and a satellite'.

Thales Alenia Space is designing the solar powered ship for both civil and military applications, with a focus on surveillance and environmental management.

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A Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer is developing an airship that could be the eye in the sky for government agencies. Called Stratobus, this 100-meter-long autonomous blimp is described as a mix 'between a drone and a satellite'. Thales Alenia Space is designing this ship for both civil and military applications, with a focus on surveillance and environmental management

Thales recently announced the launch of its Stratobus researcher and development project, in which it received 17 million euros to cover a 24-development phase.

It aims to create a prototype of Stratobus thatbe ready for testing in 2018, with a full-scale version ready in 2020.

'Stratobus is midway between a drone and a satellite, making a low-cost product offering permanent regional coverage and ideally complementing satellite solutions,' said Thales Alenia Space project manager Jean-Philippe Chessel.

'Using only solar energy and green technologies, Stratobus has a very small carbon footprint – much smaller than that of a small private plane.'

The solar panels are spread over the top of this high-tech autonomous blimp, which generate power for the electric propulsion system, reports RT.com.

This system allows the ship to maintain a stable position in wind gusts up to 90 km/h, in which it uses two electric motors on either side and features ultra-light reversible fuel cell for energy storage.

WHAT ARE THE FEATURES? 

Thales recently announced the kick-off of its Stratobus researcher and development project, in which they received 17 million euros to cover a 24-development phase

Called Stratobus, this 100-meter-long autonomous blimp is describes as a mix 'between a drone and a satellite'.

Thales Alenia Space is designing this ship for both civil and military applications, with a focus on surveillance and environmental management.

Solar panels are spread over the top of this high-tech autonomous blimp, which generate power for the electric propulsion system, reports RT.com.

This system will allow the ship to maintain a stable position in wind gusts up to 90 km/h, in which it uses two electric motors on either side to keep it in position.

Stratobus can hover 20 kilometres in the air, which allows for a view range of about 500 kilometres, over its theater of operations and in the lower layer of the stratosphere, which offers sufficient density to provide lift for the balloon.

It will also soar high into the stratosphere, reaching altitudes of 20,000 meters.

The plan is for this ship to carry out arrange of missions including surveillance of borders or high-value sites, on land or at sea, security, environmental monitoring and telecommunications.

Stratobus has an operational lifespan of five-years and only needs ground maintenance just a few days a year.

The ship can hold up into a 40-foot container for easy storage and transportation. 

'Stratobus uses a solar concentrator inside the balloon and a reversible fuel cell that provides a large amount of onboard energy, while minimizing weight and the envelope's surface area, day or night,' Chessel said in an interview last year.

Another innovation Thales has developed, and patented, is the 'ring around the balloon', which rotates the ship to keep it facing the Sun all hours of the day and in all seasons.

Stratobus can hover 20 kilometres in the air, which allows for a view range of about 500 kilometres, over its theater of operations and in the lower layer of the stratosphere, which offers sufficient density to provide lift for the balloon.

It will also soar high into the stratosphere, reaching altitudes of 20,000 meters.

The plan is for this ship to carry out arrange of missions including surveillance of borders or high-value sites, on land or at sea, security, environmental monitoring and telecommunications.

It can also be used for navigation purposes, such as augment GPS coverage in dense traffic zones.

Solar panels are spread over the top of this high-tech autonomous blimp, which generate power for the electric propulsion system. This system will allow the ship to maintain a stable position in wind gusts up to 90 km/h, in which it uses two electric motors on either side to keep it in position 

The plan is for this ship to carry out arrange of missions including surveillance of borders or high-value sites, on land or at sea, security, environmental monitoring and telecommunications. Stratobus can handle five-year missions at a time and only needs ground maintenance just a few days a year

It can also be used during natural disasters, such as the recent earthquake in Ecuador, to reestablish Internet and telephone connections for better management of humanitarian efforts.

Stratobus has an operational lifespan of five-years and only needs ground maintenance just a few days a year - allowing it to be productive during missions.

Chessel said the oil and gas industry has shown interest in the ship, as it could help identify threatening weather conditions.

And in the maritime sector, Stratobus can detect a suspect boat within 200 km, alert authorities and anticipate risks of piracy.

Although other countries, such as the US, Europe and Japan, are developing similar projects, Chessel explained Stratobus is significantly different.

Thales plans to build the first Stratobus Prototype Flight Model from 2018 to 2019 and will need an additional six months for flight testing, certification and authorization to fly – then the firm will move into production. The product is expected to be commercialized around 2020

'The solar concentrator and the ring that enables rotation of the envelope are significant differences, maximizing power-to-weight ratio and reducing size,' he said.

'The envelope can be folded up and placed in a 40-foot container, which means it was designed for easy transport.'

'It is both lighter and stronger than the stratospheric airship projects soon to be introduced in the States.'

Thales plans to build the first Stratobus Prototype Flight Model from 2018 to 2019 and will need an additional six months for flight testing, certification and authorization to fly – then the firm will move into production.

The product is expected to be commercialized around 2020. 

Another innovation Thales has developed, and patented, is the 'ring around the balloon', which lets the ship so it faces the Sun all hours of the day and in all seasons. Stratobus can hover 20 kilometres in the air, which allows for a view range of about 500 kilometres, and reaches altitudes of 20,000 meters into the stratosphere