Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's dream of connecting billions of people, even on off the grid locations that don't have any internet connections, may not be a dream anymore.
Zuckerberg formed Facebook's Connectivity Lab to research and build drones, satellites and lasers that will deliver the internet to everyone.
With the Aquila, Facebook's Connectivity Lab showed the world that they can deliver to their purpose. The newly completed solar powered drone was named after an eagle in Greek mythology that carried Jupiter's thunderbolts.
The Aquila is a V-shaped, carbon fiber-layered prototype that weighs between 880 and 1,000 pounds--roughly the equivalent of a Toyota Prius--with a wingspan comparable to a Boeing 737. The drone is capable of flying at altitudes between 60,000 and 90,000 feet for three months at a time.
When designing Aquila, Facebook focused on three elements: solar power, altitude and duration. Facebook wanted the drone to be self-sufficient and to be able to fly above commercial airspace and in different weather changes for months. And when the time comes, the Aquila can land on the ground like a glider, safely coasting to a designated area on the ground.
Fascinatingly, the Aquila will be deployed via a balloon. A helium balloon will be attached to the drone that will elevate it to around 70,000 feet. When the balloon reaches this height, the Aquila will then disengage itself.
During the day, the Aquila will follow a 3 kilometer flight radius, flying between 80,000 to 90,000 feet above sea level. It will descend to 60,000 feet at night to conserve energy.
The Aquila is just one part of Internet.org, the Facebook-backed organization that Zuckerberg launched in 2013, which was designed to bring internet connection to the remaining 10% of the world's population who don't have access. Internet.org partners with local telecommunication companies and internet providers in offering free, basic internet access to sites such as Facebook, Wikipedia and BBC News.
