Syllabus

GS 3: Achievements of Indians in science & technology

Context: 

Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out maiden flight trials of the Stratospheric Airship Platform from Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh.

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• It was developed by the Agra-based Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE).
• The airship was launched carrying an instrumental payload to an altitude of around 17 km.
• The flight lasted around 62 minutes, during which data was collected by onboard sensors.

Stratospheric Airship 

It functions as a high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS). 

• HAPS is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to operate in the stratosphere, above 20 km altitude, providing services like telecommunications, surveillance, and more, much like a satellite.
• HAPS can be classified as aerodynamic (or heavier-than-air, e.g. fixed wing/airplanes) and aerostatic (or lighter-than-air, e.g. balloons and airships). 

• It is capable of long-duration airborne operation and can be deployed for static surveillance and real-time observation.

• It relies on helium for lift and generally operates using solar energy, with onboard batteries supporting functionality during nighttime.

Significance of the platform

• The successful prototype flight marks a significant step toward developing lighter-than-air, high-altitude platform systems capable of staying airborne for extended durations in the stratosphere.
• This system will provide a unique boost to India's capabilities in earth observation as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).
• It can act as a low-cost alternative to satellites, offering continuous coverage without the high expense of satellite launches.
• They bridge the gap between drones and satellites by offering space-like coverage with quicker deployment, lower costs, and greater flexibility.

With the successful test of the Stratospheric Airship Platform (SAP), India has entered an elite group of nations possessing indigenous high-altitude airship technology.

• Other countries with similar capabilities include the USA, China, and Russia. 

Stratosphere

• It is the layer of Earth’s atmosphere situated between the troposphere below and the mesosphere above.
• The stratosphere ranges in altitude from approximately 6 to 20 kilometers (4 to 12 miles) above the Earth's surface and extends up to about 50 kilometers (31 miles).
• This atmospheric layer contains about 19% of the total atmospheric gases but has a very low concentration of water vapor.
• In the stratosphere, temperature rises with increasing altitude.
• The rise in temperature is due to the heat generated during ozone formation, causing temperatures to increase from around -51°C (-60°F) at the tropopause to approximately -15°C (5°F) at the top of the stratosphere.
• As temperature rises with altitude in the stratosphere, this air becomes warmer at higher levels and cooler at lower levels leading a phenomenon known as temperature inversion.