Founded in 2017 by
Christoph Schlettig
Michael Anger
Incubation period
01-05-2017 to 30-04-2019
About Unisphere GmbH
UNISPHERE develops adaptable stratospheric solar drones capable of long-endurance flights. The company was founded in 2017. In addition to having several years of experience in solar aviation and the operation of experimental aircraft, its team provides consulting services for HAPS, including in application benchmarking, flight testing, and flight operations.
Contact info
-
- Friedrichshafener Str. 1
- 82205
- Gilching
- Germany
- +49 0
The challenge
Using solar energy to power high-altitude drones will close the endurance gap between conventional aircraft and satellites. Operating in the stratosphere without the disturbances of weather and air traffic, the drones can loiter uninterrupted above an event for its full duration, patrol non-stop for up to several months, and provide real-time data in high temporal resolution. In contrast to satellites, their payload can be modified, exchanged, or repaired between missions. Furthermore, the drones are sustainable as they generate no noise, emissions, or space debris at the end of their life cycle.
The solution
UNISPHERE drones will facilitate large-scale preemptive observation in areas such as border control, coast guard services, fishery enforcement, and natural disaster forecasting and monitoring (storms, wildfire, flooding) while providing an adaptable and affordable platform for science and research. They will also provide an airborne platform for temporary and permanent communication services, thus delivering connectivity independent of terrestrial infrastructure.