Eco Factor: Spy ship powered by electric thrusters.
US Army’s Space & Missile Defense Command is planning to deploy a hybrid unmanned spy ship over Afghanistan by 2011. The autonomous spy ship, which is based on a model created by Lockheed Martin, is a Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle dubbed the P-791.
The airship will be 250 feet in length and has the capability to remain aloft for up to 3 weeks at an altitude of 20,000 feet. The spy ship will be equipped with a ground moving target indication radar, a wide motion imagery sensor in addition to some other intelligent devices. About 80% of the power it needs to remain airborne is based on buoyancy and the remaining 20% will be generated by six thrusters which are electrically powered by a central turbo generator.
Via: CleanTechnica
