Google [GOOG] on Monday said it has acquired Titan Aerospace, a developer of high-altitude solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for potential use in a number of applications.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Facebook [FB] earlier this year was reportedly interested in New Mexico-based Titan.
A Google spokesperson said in a statement that “Titan Aerospace and Google share a profound optimism about the potential for technology to improve the world. It’s still early days, but atmospheric satellites could help bring internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation. It’s why we’re so excited to welcome Titan Aerospace to the Google family.”
For its part, Titan said on its website that it is “excited to learn from and work with our new colleagues as we continue our research, testing and design work as part of the Google family.”
Earlier on Monday Titan’s website displaying its UAV platforms, the Solara 50 and Solara 60, was up, but not long after reports of the acquisition surfaced the website was changed to include only the company’s statement, which closely mirrored Google’s.
Titan has said the company’s UAVs could stay aloft for years, flying more than 60,000 feet above Earth.