About Air-Ships Based High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (AS-HAPS):
- HAPS are solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles designed to operate in the stratosphere nearly double the cruising altitude of commercial aircraft.
- Unlike conventional satellites that orbit at least 200 km above Earth and require expensive rocket launches, HAPS platforms can remain airborne for months or even years using solar power during the day and high-density batteries at night.
- This gives them satellite-like capabilities at a fraction of the cost, hence the term "pseudo satellite."
- HAPS hovers persistently over specific locations, providing real-time monitoring of border areas to detect changes or movements.
- Equipped with high-definition optical and infrared cameras, state-of-the-art sensors, these aerial platforms are suitable for round-the-clock missions, border patrolling, target tracking, maritime surveillance and navigation, and even missile detection.
- India and HAPS:
- India has been developing indigenous HAPS capability through the National Aerospace Laboratories in Bengaluru.
