ISAE-SUPAERO and H3 Dynamics Develop a Zero-emission Pilotless Aircraft to Cross the Atlantic Ocean
23.11.2020 14:00:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
ISAE-SUPAERO:
Extracting energy for ultra-long range flights
Since the pioneering work of Lord Rayleigh in 1883, it has been observed that some birds such as Albatrosses can achieve outstanding flight durations and ranges by using wind gradients over flat surfaces. More recently, two Ph.D. programs conducted at ISAE-SUPAERO have provided new insights into the physical mechanism which consists of extracting energy from wind gradients with the objective of transferring the strategy onto fixed-wing drones. A potential range gain of 40% for a given drone has been identified and this can be achieved by applying the flight strategies inspired from Albatrosses and other natural flyers.
The ambition of the ‘Drone Mermoz’ project is to combine different sources of energy in order to achieve a long-range flight with a 100% electrically powered drone. The challenge will consist of following the historical route taken by Jean Mermoz in 1930 between Dakar (Senegal) and Natal (Brazil). The total distance is about 3000 kilometers which proves impossible with a conventional battery-based electric drone.
The key technology to achieving such a long-range flight is based on fuel cells supplied by H3 Dynamics. Because fuel cells produce electricity from Hydrogen and only reject water into the atmosphere, Drone Mermoz will be a collaborative effort between H3 Dynamics and ISAE-SUPAERO to design, manufacture and fly the first 100% green drone to achieve such long distances. Using the best aircraft design strategies available, ISAE-SUPAERO will endeavour to design an optimized drone with a total mass of less than 25 kg to make an attempt at the record in 2021.
ISAE-SUPAERO’s commitment towards sustainable development
The ‘Drone Mermoz’ initiative is in line with ISAE-SUPAERO’s investment in innovative aeronautical and space technologies in a sustainable development perspective.
ISAE-SUPAERO is well aware of the environmental issues such as climate change and energy transition. It has embarked on a mission to raise awareness and the direction of research at ISAE-SUPAERO puts in place environment-conscious research programs thanks to technological innovations and eco-design of cleaner aircrafts.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201123005792/en/
Contact information
Leïla Colaud
leila.c@oxygen-rp.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
BioLife to Showcase Oral Peptide Delivery Technology During London Life Sciences Week3.11.2026 17:03:00 EET | Press release
BioLife Products Limited today announced its participation in London Life Sciences Week, where it will highlight its patented oral peptide delivery technology and recent advances in its intellectual property portfolio. BioLife will present at the LSX Investival Showcase on Monday, November 16, 2026, from 3:15 to 3:30 p.m. GMT, at Old Billingsgate, London. The presentation will be led by Former US Ambassador James P. Cain, Strategic Advisor to the Chairman & Founder, alongside Ludivine Delattre, Business and Corporate Relations, and will highlight the scientific journey behind the technology and its potential applications. BioLife is focused on developing a novel approach to delivering peptide therapeutics orally. Built on over 35 years of pharmaceutical effervescence expertise and two decades of oral peptide research by founder and inventor Dr. Farid Bennis, the technology uses a dissolvable effervescent tablet to create a buffered solution that helps protect peptides during gastrointe
Sceye and SoftBank Corp. Sign Agreement for Fleet of Stratospheric Platforms Targeting Nationwide Coverage in Japan3.11.2026 17:00:00 EET | Press release
Sceye, a U.S. aerospace and material science company building High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) for stratospheric infrastructure, today announced a five-year Master Services Agreement (MSA) with SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO:9434, “SoftBank”) to manufacture, launch, and operate a fleet of Sceye’s HAPS over Japan with the aim of achieving nationwide coverage. This agreement advances the companies’ partnership from flight demonstrations toward full-scale stratospheric infrastructure. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261103391128/en/ Sceye and SoftBank Corp. Sign Agreement for Fleet of Stratospheric Platforms Targeting Nationwide Coverage in Japan Sceye’s HAPS will form a key pillar of SoftBank’s strategy for a Ubiquitous Network. The majority of Sceye’s initial fleet will provide mobile broadband throughout Japan, while a subset will also establish a Free Space Optical (FSO) network in the stratosphere. These deploym
SharkNinja Brings Its All-Star Neighbors and Fans Home for the Holidays3.11.2026 17:00:00 EET | Press release
SharkNinja, Inc. (NYSE: SN), a global product design and technology company, today unveiled the final spot in its first-ever SharkNinja holiday campaign, starring global brand ambassadors David Beckham, Tom Brady, Kevin Hart, and Aryna Sabalenka. The campaign, “There’s No Home Like a SharkNinja Home,” puts the ambassadors’ own fandom and love of Shark and Ninja products at the center of a holiday house-sitting assignment that gets a little out of hand and invites fans along for the fun. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261103325477/en/ David Beckham, Tom Brady, Kevin Hart, and Aryna Sabalenka celebrate a shared love and fandom of Shark and Ninja products in SharkNinja’s first-ever holiday campaign, “There’s No Home Like a SharkNinja Home” Created by SharkNinja’s in-house Creative Labs team and produced by Studio 99, the holiday campaign builds on SharkNinja’s Neighbors series, which debuted in 2025 with Beckham
Andersen Consulting Enhances Transformation Capabilities with Bakia Consulting3.11.2026 16:30:00 EET | Press release
Andersen Consulting advances its business transformation capabilities through a Collaboration Agreement with Bakia Consulting, a firm specializing in finance function transformation. Headquartered in Paris with capabilities in Singapore and Hong Kong, Bakia Consulting has helped large corporations and financial institutions redesign their finance functions, addressing operating models, organizational structures, processes, and digital systems. The firm combines project management and change management, working alongside clients to develop solutions and sustain change. Bakia Consulting also advises on financial and non-financial management models, process optimization, and digital tools. “Finance functions are being asked to deliver better insight, operate more efficiently, and adapt to changing business needs, often at the same time,” said Romain Dubuisson, partner at Bakia Consulting. “We work closely with clients to develop solutions that reflect their operational realities, combinin
Organigram to Acquire Aurora and Establish a Global Cannabis Leader3.11.2026 16:16:00 EET | Press release
Organigram Global Inc. (NASDAQ: OGI) (TSX: OGI) (“Organigram”) and Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB) (TSX: ACB) (“Aurora”) today announced that they have entered into an arrangement agreement (the “Arrangement Agreement”) pursuant to which Organigram will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares (the “Aurora Shares”) of Aurora at a price of C$7.80 per Aurora Common Share (the “Transaction”). The Transaction values Aurora at approximately C$561 million on a fully diluted equity value basis. The consideration represents a 93% premium to the unaffected closing share price of Aurora Shares on the TSX as of August 10, 2026, the last full trading day of Aurora prior to the announcement by Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (“Curaleaf”) of its intention to launch a hostile takeover bid for Aurora (the “Unaffected Price”), and a 21% premium relative to the current bid value of the Curaleaf hostile offer3 (the “Hostile Bid”) as most recently amended on October 6, 2026, which was unanimousl
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom