Facebook launches massive solar-powered drone in mission to bring internet to the entire world
The drones should eventually be able to fly for months at a time and beam internet down to customers
FACEBOOK has launched a massive solar-powered drone as part of their mission to bring internet to the most remote parts of the world.
The flight test took place in the US and the drone stayed airborne for a full 96 minutes, as the crew checked its autopilot system and aerodynamics.
The carbon-fibre drone - nicknamed Project Acquila - has a terrifying wingspan larger than a Boeing 737, but weighs just a third of a car.
The end goal is to have a fleet of drones like these flying between 60,000 to 90,000 feet at all times, receiving internet data from laser connections. This data will then be beamed down to customers.
Facebook wants the drones to remain airborne for months at a time, powered purely by the sun.
The test, which took place on June 28, was just a low altitude flight, but the plane flew three times longer than its team expected.
A group of roughly two dozen people worked on the drone in locations from Southern California to the United Kingdom.
For months they engineered in Yuma, a small desert city in Arizona.
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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was there to observe the momentous flight.
He told : "I just felt this is such an important milestone for the company, and for connecting the world, that I have to be there."
The drone team have to work on its control systems and the drone's capabilities before they attempt higher altitudes.
A few years ago, Facebook and Zuckerberg launched Internet.org, an initiative to bring internet to the poorest parts of the world. This flight test is the latest step in his grand plan.
Though the flight was a success, the team now need to address whether the drone will get enough sun to keep running at night.
They also need to determine if maintaining a fleet of drones would be cheaper than laying fiber optic cables to the most remote parts of the world.