American scientists talked about the project to create an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of staying in the air for months without the need for refueling. Scientists of Sandia laboratories, as well as Northrop Grumman, which specializes in defense -class machines, worked on the project.
The consolidated team of scientists has worked out a patented technology regarding aircraft based on a nuclear reactor with helium cooling. This patent was issued in 1986, although engineers note that some of these documents were registered much earlier — In the fifties of the last century. With a new source of energy, drones will receive more time to observe these objects, they will also be able to conduct more detailed research on more powerful equipment.
The authors have studied many options for energy supply systems that could be installed on unmanned aerial vehicles of medium and large sizes, and as a result they stopped at nuclear reactors. At the moment, the study is theoretical and conceptual, Sandia scientists emphasized that not a single drone and nuclear reactor was collected and tested. The authors of the project were only instructed to determine the possibility of creating such a machine, the decision to develop specific models will be made later.
Source:
- slashgear.com