David Eyre 
3 December 2018 © David Eyre
Airbus Defence and Space announced the opening of the world’s first High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) launch site for the Zephyr UAV in Wyndham, Western Australia, which will be the main flight base for Zephyr.
Three of the aircraft will operate from Wyndham beginning in March 2019.
Wyndham was chosen due to its mostly unrestricted airspace and reliable weather. The site selection was announced on 5 June 2018 by WA Premier Mark McGowan, following talks with Airbus that began in February.
Zephyr is a solar electric, stratospheric Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Using solar power, it flies well above the weather and normal aircraft, providing local satellite-like services for commercial and military customers.
Zephyr could be used for many different missions, including disaster management (including monitoring bush fires or oil spills); environmental monitoring; surveys; communications; maritime surveillance, border patrol or as a navigation aid; and “local persistence” ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance).
The aircraft flies in the stratosphere at an average altitude of 70,000 feet (21 kilometres), has a wingspan of 25 meters, weighs less than 75kg and can fly for weeks.
