DRDO Successfully Tests High-Altitude Stratospheric Airship

Photo: X/@DRDO_India

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out the first flight test of a new airship that can fly very high in the sky. This test took place at the Sheopur trial site in Madhya Pradesh.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the airship was designed and built by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, located in Agra. The airship was launched into the sky with special instruments on board and reached a height of about 17 kilometers, which is in the stratosphere – a very high layer of the Earth’s atmosphere.

The data collected from the instruments during the flight will help scientists create better models and improve future versions of this high-altitude airship.

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DRDO shared the success of the test on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), saying, “DRDO successfully conducts the first flight trial of a Stratospheric Airship with instruments, reaching around 17 kilometers in height. This light air system will help India with earth observation and with keeping an eye on things from the sky, which is important for security and information gathering. This makes India one of the few countries in the world with such advanced technology made on its own.”

During the flight, important systems like pressure control and emergency deflation (which helps release air quickly if needed) were tested to see how well they work. After the flight, the team was able to bring the airship back safely for further checking and study. The total flight lasted about 62 minutes.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO team for this big achievement. He said that this airship system will help India greatly by improving how we watch and understand what’s happening on Earth from high up. It also helps India become stronger in developing its own modern technologies.

Dr. Samir V Kamat, who is the Secretary of Defence R&D and the Chairman of DRDO, also praised the scientists and engineers who worked on this project. He said that this test is a big step towards making long-lasting air systems that can stay in the sky for a long time at very high altitudes.