http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/07/18/drones-that-may-fly-indefinitely-can-be-recharged-by-lasers/
Drones That May Fly Indefinitely Can Be Recharged By Lasers
July 18, 2012 2:36 PM
LOS ANGELES (KNX 1070) A recently
demonstrated breakthrough in technology
may help Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS),
better known as drones, stay airborne for
very long periods of time before having to
return to Earth.
This development comes at a time when the
U.S. government is actively encouraging the
domestic use of drones, first by law
enforcement, and later, by private concerns.
Lockheed Martin and a company called
LaserMotive have been able to keep a drone
flying for some 49 hours non-stop, using a
ground-based laser to recharge the drones
on board battery, says Tom Koonce, the
project manager for Lockheed Martin, in an
interview with KNX1070 Newsradio.
The test, says Koonce, was conducted in a
wind tunnel in Palmdale. The system will
very soon be tested in actual airspace in the
desert, requiring coordination with both the
FAA and NASA to keep the ground-based
laser from interfering with either
commercial aircraft or Earth-orbiting space
vehicles.
<snip>