Facebook seems to be interested in using these high-flying drones, specifically the “Solara 60″ model.
This featherweight aircraft built using composites has a 160-foot wingspan and is wrapped in solar cells that supply the energy needed to take off at 20 mph. Carrying up to 250 pounds of payload, the Solara 60 will carry anything from signals intelligence gear to electro-optical sensors or communications equipment. The Solara 10 is already flying on regular missions, the Solara 50 is currently in advanced development and the Solara 60 is expected to fly in late 2014.
These drones are “atmospheric satellites” that can conduct most of the operations of an orbital satellite, but are cheaper and more versatile. The drones could potentially have many uses, including weather monitoring, disaster recovery, Earth imaging, or communications, the company has said, but clearly Facebook would be interested in that latter part.
