Facebook is officially shutting down Aquila, its internet delivery drone project that started back in 2014. News of the project being scrapped was quietly announced in an official blog post titled “High altitude connectivity: The next chapter”.
The blog post states that Facebook would be shutting down its drone building facility at Bridgewater, UK, and that it would not design or built its own aircraft any longer. The post goes on to say that Facebook will still continue working with its aviation partners, such as Airbus.
The Aquila was an ambitious project started by Facebook, with the goal of bringing high-speed internet access to remote places in the world. Prior to the shutdown, Facebook had conducted two public test flights with the Aquila, one of which saw the plane. It had a wingspan that was similar to the Boeing 737, but only weighed in at just 400kg. It was also solar powered, and had the ability to fly at altitude between 60,000 and 90,000 feet.
(Source: Facebook via The Verge [1] [2])
