GOYANG, May 11 (Korea Bizwire) – The Korea Aerospace University said Tuesday that an unmanned solar-powered aircraft that it had developed succeeded in a flight from the mainland to the easternmost islets of Dokdo and back, just in time to celebrate the school’s 70th anniversary.
A research team from the school developed a mini-sized solar-powered drone dubbed KAU-SPUAV-2019.
With a wingspan of 4.2 meters and a weight of 5.2 kilograms, the aircraft took off at 3:30 a.m. on Monday from Giseong Mangyang Beach in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province.
At 11:40 a.m. on the same day, the aircraft flew around Dokdo and landed back in Uljin at 3:40 p.m., finishing a more than 13-hour flight.
The university said the solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flew 440 kilometers, setting a new distance record in South Korea. Solar-powered UAVs don’t have to land to recharge, allowing them to fly longer.
The university research team’s solar-powered aircraft set a flight record of 32 hours and 19 minutes in 2020 and 56 hours and 33 minutes in 2021, setting a new record each year.
Image Credit: Korea Aerospace University / photonews@koreabizwire.com
