DRDO's Indigenous High-Altitude Platform System Reaches 21 km and Holds 20 km for Over 30 Minutes

6 October 2026National

DRDO on 6 October 2026 flight-tested an indigenously developed High-Altitude Platform System (HAPS), a lighter-than-air stratospheric vehicle that climbed to 21 km above sea level and held station at 20 km for more than 30 minutes before being recovered. Developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra, the platform carried an inertial measurement unit, a GPS receiver, onboard cameras and altitude-control systems, streaming live video and flight parameters to the ground control station. The trial was coordinated with the Indian Air Force, CEMILAC, the DGCA and the Airports Authority of India, and advances indigenous persistent-surveillance capability under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

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DRDO was established in 1958 and functions under the Department of Defence R&D, Ministry of Defence, with headquarters at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi | ADRDE, Agra is DRDO's laboratory for parachutes, aerostats and airdrop systems | The stratosphere extends roughly 12-50 km above the surface and holds the ozone layer, which makes it ideal for long-endurance pseudo-satellite platforms

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