Facebook's solar-powered drone launched

Washington: Facebook on Saturday introduced it’s first full-scale drone Aquila that will bring basic internet access to the developing world. A working model of the plane is now ready for testing, Facebook said.

The solar-powered drone will be able to fly without landing for three months at a time, using a laser to beam data to a base station on the ground, the Guardian reported.

Aquila has the wingspan of a Boeing 737. Even when loaded with communications gear, Aquila only weighs between 880 to 1,000 lbs - about a third the weight of a Prius.

"When deployed, it will be able to circle a remote region for up to 90 days, beaming connectivity down to people from an altitude of 60,000 to 90,000 [feet]," Facebook said.

It will climb to its maximum height during the day, before gliding slowly down to its lowest ebb at night, to conserve power when its solar panels are not receiving charge, the Guardian said.

Jay Parikh, Facebook’s vice-president of engineering, said: “Our mission is to connect everybody in the world. This is going to be a great opportunity for us to motivate the industry to move faster on this technology."

It took 14 months to build the drone. Lacking wheels, or even the ability to climb from ground level to its cruising altitude without aid, it will be launched with the help of helium balloons, which will rise it to its preferred height.