HAPSMobile, a subsidiary of SoftBank (SFTBY), announced last night that it received a Certificate of Authorization from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to fly “HAWK30,” a solar-powered unmanned aircraft assembled in April 2019 to provide a stratospheric telecommunications platform system, in the Hawaiian island of Lanai’s stratosphere. “With this COA2, HAPSMobile, the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of Hawaii will prepare for test flights at Lanai in fiscal 2019 by conducting safety verifications while coordinating with the island authorities and respecting business-related legislation and regulations,” the company said in a statement. HAPSMobile is 95% funded and owned by SoftBank and 5% funded and owned by AeroVironment (AVAV). AeroVironment is committed to contribute $5M in capital for its 5% ownership of the joint venture, and has an option to increase its ownership stake in HAPSMobile up to 19% at the same cost basis as its initial 5% purchase. Shares of AeroVironment are up 6% in afternoon trading, or $2.76, to $53.70 in afternoon trading.