The drone companies are joining forces, and fast. On Friday, Israeli-American hydrogen-powered drone company Heven said it had acquired Zepher Flight Labs, which makes vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone systems, as well as hydrogen drones.
“Zepher brings deep expertise in lightweight airframes, avionics, and modular payload integration—all of which enhance Heven’s mission of building drones that can operate around the clock in unpredictable environments,” Heven CEO Bentzion Levinson told Tectonic via email.
This comes just weeks after Heven announced a partnership with Mach Industries to build its drones in Mach’s facilities.
Long-range: Hydrogen-powered drones—at least in theory—have some advantages over battery- and jet fuel-powered drones, including:
- Longer flight time
- Higher payload capacity
- Faster refueling (quicker than charging)
- Better performance in lower temperatures and at higher altitudes
Go boom: But they also come with a ton (like, a ton) of risks:
- Hydrogen is extremely flammable and can ignite at much lower temperatures than gasoline. A little spark could cause a big, big explosion.
- Hydrogen production is tricky—there aren’t a lot of facilities that can produce and refuel the testy substance.
- Storage of hydrogen is also a challenge—it needs to be stored at extremely high pressure or cryogenically cooled, and leaks can be hard to detect.
Famously, Mach Industries sidelined their hydrogen weapons program after a series of safety incidents (read: explosions) and difficulties producing and storing hydrogen. Earlier this year, they pivoted to a VTOL drone called Viper (which has been mired in its own China-related controversy).
Into the fold: Levinson told Tectonic that the Zepher acquisition will expand the company’s portfolio by adding a further hydrogen-powered drone and Zepher’s “hydrogen generation systems.” Zepher has expertise, he said, on “lightweight airframes, avionics, and modular payload integration” — that will improve Heven’s drones, and quickly.
“Zepher will help us to innovate the next-gen systems, and Mach ensures we can build them reliably and at scale,” he said.