What Skydweller Aero does
Skydweller Aero builds the world's first uncrewed, solar-powered aircraft capable of perpetual flight. The platform combines a large carbon-fiber airframe, photovoltaic skin, battery storage, and Skydweller's autonomous-flight AI to enable maritime patrol, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance), and telecommunications-relay missions for weeks or months at a time without landing or refueling. The aircraft is built on the airframe legacy of Solar Impulse, the manned solar plane that flew around the world.
The drone successfully completed multi-day unmanned flights in partnership with the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) in July 2025 and previously navigated 22-hour autonomous test flights through hurricane conditions in 2024. Skydweller's strategic partners include Palantir (mission software) and Leonardo (aerospace investor).
Who it's for
Skydweller targets defense, maritime intelligence, and commercial telecom customers. The first commercial use cases include U.S. Navy maritime domain awareness, allied-nation EEZ patrol, and rural broadband relays for telecom carriers. Operational flights for paying customers are planned beginning 2025-26.
Pricing
Skydweller sells via long-term defense contracts and government-funded development programs. Commercial pricing has not been publicly disclosed but is structured around platform-as-a-service mission hours.
Team & funding
Skydweller Aero was founded in 2019 by Robert Miller (CEO), John Parkes, and a team blending former Lockheed, Boeing, Solar Impulse, and defense executives. The company is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with major operations in Albacete, Spain. Skydweller has raised approximately $40M+ in Series A funding plus a $5M U.S. Navy contract and additional defense awards. Leonardo has made a strategic investment; Palantir and Marlinspike Capital are partners and investors.
Position vs competitors
Skydweller competes with Airbus Zephyr, BAE PHASA-35, and Sceye in the HAPS (high-altitude platform station) and solar-perpetual segment, plus traditional MALE drones like General Atomics MQ-9 in maritime ISR. Its differentiator is heavy-payload solar perpetual flight at lower altitude than balloon and stratospheric HAPS rivals.