Watch: Impressive Take-Off Of Scaled Version Of India's Solar-Powered High Altitude Pseudo Satellite In New Video

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), in partnership with a Bengaluru-based startup, NewSpace Research, is developing a futuristic High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS).

HAPS, a solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle, will be capable of operating at altitudes of over 70,000 feet in the stratosphere for several months at a stretch.

According to earlier reports, it will take around three to four years for HAPS to be developed and inducted into the armed forces.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NewSpace Research, Sameer Joshi, posted a video of a scaled variant of HAPS taking off from a runway on X (formerly Twitter).

HAPS, according to the video, is in its phase-2 of long-endurance testing.

It is designed to bridge the gap between Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and conventional satellites, in use by the Indian Armed Forces.

HAPS could aid in coordinating strike missions by providing communication to the troops with live video feeds and images.