An air bubble aircraft will provide low-cost satellite launch

Virtually any aircraft transport costscrazy money, especially the one that can rise to a great height and be used as a platform for launching space satellites. The union of several private companies and university researchers presented one of the most inexpensive alternatives to these devices - the Phoenix apparatus, which uses the same principle for flight as fish to maintain its buoyancy.

It looks like a huge two-winged airship -its length is 15 meters and its width reaches 10.5 meters. For movement through the air, he uses a mechanism similar to air bubbles in fish, that is, the thrust is created by facilitating and weighting the structure and releasing compressed air.

According to Professor Andrew Ray from the UniversityHighlands and Islands, half of its time, the Phoenix is ​​in a state heavier than air, and the other part is lighter than air. The constant transition between these two states is the source of movement of the apparatus.

Vehicle fuselage contains helium,allowing it to rise, and also contains an air cushion that lets in and out the air. These movements push the aircraft forward and contribute to the release of compressed air.

The device is almost completely self-sufficient -The energy needed to operate the pumps is generated by solar panels located on the wings and tail. Devices with a similar design can easily be used as pseudo-satellites and even as platforms for launching small spacecraft.

The first flight of the "Phoenix" at 102-meter distanceheld at a factory in England. Developers want to achieve that the device could work freely at an altitude of 20,000 meters and generate energy, which is enough for several days in a row.

If you are interested in the news of science and technology, be sure to subscribe to our channel in Yandex. Dzen. There you will find materials that do not hit the site!