Aquila was Facebook's solar-powered, high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aircraft developed by its Connectivity Lab to beam broadband internet to remote regions from ~60,000-90,000 ft. It had a wingspan comparable to a Boeing 737 (~43 m); the program was shut down in 2018.
| Country | USA |
|---|---|
| Subcategory | Fixed-wing |
| Subtype | HALE solar-powered internet relay UAV (research) |
| Role | High-altitude communications platform |
| Classification | HALE solar UAV (experimental) |
| Mission | communications relay, internet connectivity |
| Datalink | Laser and millimeter-wave |
| MTOW (kg) | 400 |
| Operators | Facebook (test program only) |
| Frame type | Flying wing |
| Propulsion | Solar-electric |
| Wingspan (m) | 43 |
| Combat-proven | No |
| Launch method | dolly-assisted |
| Autonomy level | Fully autonomous |
| Recovery method | runway/landing |
| Year introduced | 2016 |
| Max speed (km/h) | 129 |
| Standard sensors | laser/millimeter-wave comms payload |
| Production status | Cancelled (program ended 2018) |
| Service ceiling (m) | 27000 |
| Airframe / lift type | Fixed-wing |
| Control / autonomy level | Fully autonomous (human-off-the-loop, AI-navigated) |
| Domain | Aerial (UAV/UAS) |
| Mission / use case – civil | Research |
| Mission / use case – military | Comms relay |
| Origin / supply chain | Military-grade |
| Propulsion | Electric (LiPo / Li-ion), Solar-augmented |
| Signature / detectability | RCS – medium |
| Speed regime | Medium (50–150 km/h) |
| Strike depth / operational role | Mothership / relay (carrier drone launching FPVs or extending link range) |
| Weight / class | Class II – Tactical (150–600 kg), FAA >25 kg (Part 137 / waiver) |