Research and development of key aerodynamics and communication components for a new unmanned stratospheric glider

该项目的主要目标是设计和部署一种用于平流层飞行的新型无人滑翔机平台。滑翔机将通过一个比空气轻的气球发射，将最多5公斤的有效载荷运送到大约35公里的高度，在那里它将被释放，以便在自主控制的降落到设定的位置期间收集所需的数据。该项目是与StatoDynamic航空公司合作实施的，后者使用自主飞行器为广泛的对地观测、测试和监测任务提供独特的高空飞行服务。新的滑翔机平台旨在满足对各种地球观测任务所需的经济高效的高海拔测量的快速增长的需求，包括大气采样、气象测量和监测当地环境污染，以及在空间部署之前校准地面和天基通信设备和技术开发。与目前使用的自由漂移探头相比，它具有显著的优势，因为它提供了受控测试能力，确保了有效载荷检索，并显著减少了环境足迹。然而，这种滑翔机的设计涉及空气动力学和通信领域独特的多学科研究挑战，本提案涉及这些挑战。结果将使受控滑翔机在前所未有的广泛的操作条件下运行，提供可靠的定位和控制，并确保强大的通信和数据传输。

The main goal of this project is to enable the design and deployment of a novel unmanned glider platform for stratospheric flight. The glider will be launched via a lighter-than-air balloon to deliver up to 5 kg of payload to an altitude of approximately 35 km, where it will be released for the desired data collection during an autonomously controlled descent to a set location. The project is performed in collaboration with Statodynamics Aviation Inc., who provides unique high-altitude flight services for a wide arrange of earth observation, testing, and monitoring missions using autonomous aerial vehicles. The new glider platform is aimed to address the rapidly growing demand for cost-effective, high-altitude measurements required for a variety of earth observation missions, including atmosphere sampling, meteorological measurements, and monitoring of local environmental pollution, as well as calibration of surface- and space-based communication equipment and technology development prior to space deployment. It offers significant advantages over the currently used free-drift probes by providing controlled tests capabilities, ensuring payload retrieval, and significantly reducing the environmental footprint. However, the design of such a glider is associated with unique, multidisciplinary research challenges in the areas of aerodynamics and communications, which are addressed in the present proposal. The results will enable controlled glider operation over an unprecedently wide range of operating conditions, provide reliable positioning and control, and ensure robust communication and data transfer.