UAVOS has announced the successful flight testing of its optoelectronic, gyro stabilized Payload Onboard Device (POD), integrated into the HAPS ApusNeo 18- a solar powered high altitude pseudo satellite developed as part of a joint project with Mira Aerospace.
Using steerable high-resolution cameras, the system demonstrated coverage of 472 km of electro optical imagery with a ground sampling distance of 69 cm per pixel, as well as infrared imagery at 480 cm per pixel, from an altitude of 15,000 m. The camera’s footprint covered 53.9 km², while its steerability allowed access to any point within a 54.5 x 12.3 km area at any time. Designed specifically for stratospheric operations, the POD significantly enhances the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities of HAPS platforms.
The POD weighs 3.6 kg and features a compact form factor measuring 845 mm (length) × 128 mm (width) × 142 mm (height). It is equipped with an onboard computer for data processing and a UAVOS radio modem with a 10 W amplifier, enabling high throughput data transmission to the ground control station.
