Navy and Skydweller Aero Demonstrate 73-Hour Nonstop Flight for Solar-Powered Drone
Long-endurance, solar-charged unmanned aircraft completed a 73-hour test at Stennis, Mississippi, advancing renewable-energy autonomy for extended missions
The U.S. Navy, working with Skydweller Aero, completed a 73-hour nonstop flight of a solar-powered unmanned aircraft at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) test range in Stennis, Mississippi, demonstrating sustained, autonomous flight powered largely by renewable energy.
The three-day sortie showed that the aircraft could collect and store sufficient solar energy during daylight hours to continue flying through night periods, a capability engineers identified as a key milestone for long-endurance operations. NAWCAD led the test in partnership with the private-sector developer to evaluate the viability of solar-charged systems for extended missions.
The flight combined photovoltaic energy capture with onboard energy storage and autonomous flight controls to maintain continuous airborne operations without refueling. Engineers monitoring the mission reported that power harvested from sunlight was sufficient to recharge batteries and sustain propulsion and avionics through nighttime, allowing uninterrupted endurance across multiple day–night cycles.
Skydweller Aero, a developer of solar-electric unmanned aircraft, provided the airframe and systems for the trial; NAWCAD provided test range access and operational oversight. The test is part of an ongoing effort by the Navy to explore alternative power sources for uncrewed platforms that could reduce logistics burdens and fuel consumption while extending mission durations.
Long-endurance, solar-powered aircraft are designed to fill roles that benefit from persistent presence, including extended surveillance, communication relay, maritime domain awareness and environmental monitoring. By relying on solar energy and stored electrical power rather than traditional aviation fuel, such systems can potentially lower operating costs and diminish the logistical footprint associated with refueling and maintenance.
Technical challenges for solar-driven endurance platforms include efficient energy collection and storage, robust autonomous flight controls, and systems integration to balance payload requirements with power budgets. The 73-hour mission addressed those challenges by demonstrating the integration of photovoltaic arrays, battery storage and autonomous systems in a sustained operational profile.
Officials with NAWCAD and industry partners said the trial will feed data into further development and evaluation of long-endurance unmanned systems. The Navy has been investing in a range of uncrewed technologies to expand surveillance and persistent reach over maritime and contested areas; this flight contributes empirical performance data about solar-electric options.
Future steps were not detailed in public accounts of the test. The mission provides a technical data point for program managers and engineers assessing how solar-charged unmanned aircraft might be incorporated into broader fleet and mission architectures, and it underscores continued interest in renewable-energy approaches to extend uncrewed aircraft endurance and reduce dependence on fuel logistics.