UAE-based testing range Xrange is to host the flight test program for Mira Aerospace’s high altitude platform station.
Xrange will serve as the primary Training, Testing, and Evaluation (TT&E) facility for Mira’s ApusNeo HAPS platform, providing airspace allocation, ground-based trials instrumentation, and trials planning support.
Xrange, which is located 100km (62 miles) southwest of Abu Dhabi provides an instrumented, controlled, and safe environment for defence, aerospace and commercial customers to conduct complex TT&E activities across all domains.
The range is located on a secure 355 square kilometer island and features co-located facilities, support services and expert personnel. The island enjoys favourable weather for year-round testing in assessing performance of systems and platforms in hot, humid, and dusty conditions.
Mira is a subsidiary of UAE-based Space42. Its ApusNeo HAPS is a solar-powered, high-altitude drone designed to operate in the Earth’s stratosphere at altitudes of up to 20km.
Haitham Awinat, CEO of Xrange parent company Remaya said, “This cooperation demonstrates Xrange’s commitment to supporting innovators and disruptors like Mira Aerospace by providing a full suite of range facilities and services to test and evaluate their solutions, accelerating their time to market.”
Khaled Al Marzooqi, CEO of Mira Aerospace said, “Establishing a dedicated testing hub in Abu Dhabi is a strategic milestone for Mira Aerospace. Xrange’s expertise and infrastructure will allow us to conduct rigorous flight trials, optimize performance, and enhance the capabilities of our HAPS platforms.”
The agreement builds on successful trials carried out at Xrange in mid-2024, where Mira Aerospace’s HAPS platform remained airborne at 50,000ft for an extended period, showcasing its potential for sustained stratospheric operations.
