HAPSMobile expands test flight operations at New Mexico’s Spaceport America

Last week at Spaceport America in New , test flights of a solar-powered high-altitude platform system (HAPS) were conducted. HAPSMobile officials said that additional test flights are planned for Lanai as part of a plan to bring internet connectivity to rural areas worldwide.

HAPSMobile expands test flight operations at New Mexico’s Spaceport America

HAPSMobile Inc. has expanded test flight operations at ‘s Spaceport America to further develop the massive drone. The unmanned aircraft has a 260-foot wingspan and can fly in the stratosphere for extended periods of time at an altitude of up to 65,000 feet, reports Maui News. HAPSMobile is a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp. which is privately funding the project.

โ€œLast year, we conducted a number of low-altitude tests at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in , and based on our learnings and results, decided to expand our options to advance the business,โ€ HAPSMobile spokesman Matthew Nicholson said. โ€œWe continue to have test flight plans for Lanai and decided to include Spaceport America as a new test base as part of our mid- to long-term business plan.โ€

Nicholson added that HAPSMobile will be helped by Spaceport America and to obtain government certification.

Hapsmobile Expands Test Flight Operations At New Mexico'S Spaceport America 1

Co-owner of Drone Services , George Purdy helped bring the program to Lanai. He said earlier that there are no other updates at this time.

โ€œWe’re extremely pleased that we successfully completed all basic tests. The test flight validates the research results we have steadily accumulated, and the graceful flight at our new facility in Spaceport America has given us great confidence,โ€ said Junichi Miyakawa, representative director and chief technology officer of SoftBank Corp. and CEO of HAPSMobile, in a news release. โ€œBased on our experience and learnings from these basic tests, I feel there are even greater possibilities for the HAPS business.ย โ€œWe’ll continue to work toward our ultimate goal of bridging the world’s digital divide and revolutionizing mobile connectivity by leveraging the HAPS platform.โ€

The recently renamed drone, the Sunglider reached altitudes higher than those of previous flights and maintained high altitudes for a long duration during recent test flights. The drone program aims to provide and develop and test the airworthiness of two high-altitude platform drones. Long-duration flights over deep valleys, remote land areas, and the ocean, solely powered by solar and electricity will be part of the test operations.

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Haye Kesteloo
Haye Kesteloo

Haye Kesteloo is a leading drone industry expert and Editor in Chief of DroneXL.co and EVXL.co, where he covers drone technology, industry developments, and electric mobility trends. With over nine years of specialized coverage in unmanned aerial systems, his insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Financial Times, and cited by The Brookings Institute, Foreign Policy, Politico and others.

Before founding DroneXL.co, Kesteloo built his expertise at DroneDJ. He currently co-hosts the PiXL Drone Show on YouTube and podcast platforms, sharing industry insights with a global audience. His reporting has influenced policy discussions and been referenced in federal documents, establishing him as an authoritative voice in drone technology and regulation. He can be reached at haye @ dronexl.co or @hayekesteloo.

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