New solar-powered airship stays airborne for 12 days at 52,000-ft altitude in test

Sceye's solar-powered stratospheric airship SE2 successfully completed a 12-day test flight, traveling 6,400 miles from New Mexico to Brazil's coast at altitudes above 52,000 feet. The 270-foot airship uses solar cells and lithium-sulfur batteries to power its propeller and maintain position within a 0.62-mile radius. This achievement brings the company closer to commercial deployment for telecommunications and environmental monitoring, with pre-commercial flights planned this summer in Japan.