Persistent Flight in the Stratosphere - Justin Selfridge, Phd. and CEO of Devorto

About this episode

Justin Selfridge discusses the development of a new high-altitude drone technology that combines helicopter and airplane capabilities for long-duration flight in the stratosphere.

Justin Selfridge, PhD, is Founder and CEO of Devorto Corporation. Devorto is developing a breakthrough high-altitude platform called the Tethered Uni-Rotor Network, or TURN—a completely new aircraft architecture designed to combine the vertical lift and loitering capability of a helicopter with the aerodynamic efficiency of an airplane, enabling long-duration, solar-powered flight in the stratosphere. At Devorto, leads the development of this next-generation persistent drone technology. Backed by both private investment and government support from organizations like NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Space Force, Justin and his team are working to redefine how we think about high-altitude operations, with the potential to disrupt both satellite and traditional aerial platform markets. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Justin talks about why the stratosphere is such a critical domain for future aviation systems, how the TURN platform works and what makes it different from anything we've seen before, and the real-world applications and impact this technology could have across commercial and defense sectors.

People in this episode

Host: Randy Goers

Guest: Justin Selfridge

Topics covered

• high-altitude flight
• drone technology
• aerospace innovation
• solar-powered aircraft
• defense applications

Keywords

• drone
• stratosphere
• aviation
• persistent flight
• Devorto
• TURN
• high-altitude operations
• solar-powered

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Devorto Corporation, NASA, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force

Products: Tethered Uni-Rotor Network

More episodes of Drone Radio Show

• Inside the Future of Drones: Policy, Security, and What XPONENTIAL 2026 Reveals – with Michael Robbins, AUVSI · April 21, 2026 · 31 min
• Uncrewed Systems in the Arctic: Security, Surveillance, and NATO's Growing Role - Federico Borsari, CEPA · March 3, 2026 · 39 min
• Protecting Stadiums in the Age of Drone Incursions: Melissa Swisher, CRO at SkySafe · February 17, 2026 · 33 min
• Making Autonomous Cargo Work at Real-World Scale: Charles Acknin, CEO Skyways · February 4, 2026 · 34 min
• Securing the Skies: Detecting and Responding to Drone Threats - Logan Harris, CEO Spotter Global · January 8, 2026 · 41 min
• Defending the Skies: Oklahoma State University's Mission to Counter Emerging Drone Threats: Dr. Jamey Jacobs, Exe Director of OAIRE · November 25, 2025 · 35 min