Innovative Near Space (High Altitude Air) Platform Technologies

An innovative integration of aerodynamic, structural, propulsion and automated flight management technologies is proposed to start development of a long-persistence aerial vehicle that can serve the Air Force's intelligenc,reconnaissance, surveillance (ISR) and other missions that require a seven-day-a-week, twentyfour-hours-per-day coverage capability at 65,000 ft. and higher altitudes. The key to this concept, ATLAS, or Advanced Technology Long-endurance Aerial Surveillance is as much in the four component technologies, as in their innovative integration into a practical system. It is envisioned that an individual surveillance are of several hundred thousand square kilometers could be covered by a single pair of ATLAS vehicles, or five such areas could be covered by an ATLAS squadron of 12 vehicles, including spares.