5 ms·
I wonder what sort of payload it has. Could this conceivably lift a person?
by padjo 1y ago
I wonder what sort of payload it has. Could this conceivably lift a person?
- beejiu 1y agoSupposedly it can carry up to 800 pounds (https://www.skydweller.aero/ https://www.skydweller.aero/), although not clear what was tested.
- tecleandor 1y agoAt first sight I read 'nuclear' instead of 'not clear' and I got scared. Then I though about it again and... sadly it could also be true.
- XorNot 1y agoWhy? ICBMs can be launched and strike their targets within 15 minutes.
- greenavocado 1y agoYou underestimate the value and strategic purpose of second strike. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_strike https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_strike
- XorNot 1y agoBy definition fired after you've already been hit with nuclear weapons. Second strike is the deterrent measure to nuclear war, so why would improved second strike capability be a source of fear?
- tecleandor 1y agoEven when slow, a relatively small, high altitude, no refueling, low heat signature plane with a small tactical weapon could be interesting for... reasons.
- GiorgioG 1y agoIt seems like it could, but that's not this model's mission: https://www.skydweller.aero/perpetual-flight/ https://www.skydweller.aero/perpetual-flight/
- FrojoS 1y agoYes. It is indeed based on the Solar Impulse 2, the first manned solar aircraft to circumnavigate the earth. https://alert5.com/2025/07/30/converted-solar-impulse-2-aircraft-demonstrates-73-hour-continuous-flight-for-u-s-navy-isr-missions/ https://alert5.com/2025/07/30/converted-solar-impulse-2-airc...
- beezlebroxxxxxx 1y agoYou can use 'circumvent' here, but the meaning is a little odd. That's more like heading from Mars to the Sun and finding a way around the Earth to continue to your destination. Usually, people use 'circumnavigate' instead, which is used to describe vehicles (boats, planes, bicycles, etc.) making their way all the way around Earth.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- jandrese 1y agoOne possible payload would be a fast deploy cellular base station that can loiter over disaster areas to provide connectivity. Backhaul would be via satellite like Starlink or if you have multiple aircraft you can route between them to a place with working connectivity. They could also broadcast FM emergency update info.
- leoc 1y agoPresumably they could also be rented for big commercial outdoor events, too. On a grander scale, maybe these might make a big network like the old Project Loon more feasible, though presumably the things would have to be able to fly high enough to escape most of the weather (and vandals and conspiracy theorists armed with rifles).
- esseph 1y agoIf you ever dig through Tarana's patents, what you'll come across is more or less what you're describing.