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Aurora (Manassas, VA, US) on Nov. 14 revealed its Odysseus solar-powered autonomous aircraft. Powered only by the sun, Odysseus is an ultra-long endurance, high-altitude platform that utilizes advanced solar cells and lightweight materials, allowing it to fly almost indefinitely – all powered by clean, renewable energy.

The structure of the aircraft is built from trusses made of carbon fiber. Coverings are made from DuPont’s (Wilmington, DE, US) Tedlar polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) film, which provides UV resistance.

The inspiration for Odysseus started with the 1988 Daedalus Project which set records in distance and for human-powered flight. Daedalus organized and led by Aurora President and CEO John Langford and other MIT colleagues who later founded Aurora.

According to Aurora, Odysseus can persistently and autonomously remain on station, enabling communication and data gathering over a specific location. The craft boasts a greater year-round global operating zone and can carry a larger payload than any other aircraft in its class. Also, Odysseus reportedly can be deployed at a fraction of the cost of a satellite. These attributes make the craft well suited for climate and atmospheric research as well as a range of missions and operations across communication, connectivity and intelligence.

Odysseus’ first flight is scheduled for the Spring of 2019.