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From Testzentrum in Sachsen-Anhalt: So können Drohnen im Katastrophenfall helfen, tagesschau.de, 18 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
The solar-powered drone "HAP-alpha" with a wingspan of 27 metres is eventually supposed to be capable of ascending into the lower stratosphere, that is, to an altitude of about twenty kilometres.
Word for word: The solar-operated drone "HAP-alpha" with 27 metres of span shall once in the state be, up into the lower stratosphere, thus to in about twenty kilometres height to ascend.
A report about a planned high-altitude solar drone: one day it should be able to climb to around twenty kilometres, into the lower stratosphere.
A declarative main clause with verb-second order. The subject is the extended noun phrase 'Die solarbetriebene Drohne ... Spannweite'. The finite modal verb 'soll' stands in second position and combines with the zu-infinitive 'aufzusteigen' at the end of the clause; 'in der Lage sein' is a fixed phrase taking a zu-infinitive. The adverb 'einmal' here means 'one day, eventually'. The appositional phrases 'also bis in etwa zwanzig Kilometer Höhe' elaborate the destination with two-way preposition 'in' + accusative of direction.
Rules at work(6)
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Die solarbetriebene Drohne ... soll
After the long subject phrase the finite modal verb soll occupies the second position of the main clause.
In a German main clause the finite verb is always the second element. The first element can be the subject, but it can just as easily be a time expression, an object or a whole subordinate clause; whatever it is, it counts as one element and the verb follows it. This is why putting something other than the subject first pushes the subject after the verb.
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soll ... sein ... aufzusteigen
The modal sollen governs the infinitives sein and aufsteigen, which stand at the end of the clause.
The six modals können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen and mögen say something about the main verb rather than naming an action. The modal is the finite verb in second position and the main verb goes to the end of the clause as an infinitive.
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aufzusteigen
In der Lage sein requires a zu-infinitive; for the separable verb aufsteigen, zu is inserted between prefix and stem.
Many verbs, adjectives and nouns take an infinitive introduced by zu, which stands at the end of its clause. With a separable verb the zu goes between the prefix and the stem, giving aufzustehen.
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bis in die untere Stratosphäre
in takes the accusative die Stratosphäre because motion towards a goal is expressed.
An, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor and zwischen take the accusative when the phrase answers where to, and the dative when it answers where. The distinction is movement across a boundary against position, not motion against stillness.
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Die solarbetriebene Drohne
After the definite article die the attributive adjective takes the weak ending -e.
After a definite article the adjective ending is e in the five nominative and accusative singular slots and en everywhere else, because the article has already shown the case and gender.
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27 Metern Spannweite
Spannweite is a genitive attribute quantifying Metern: a wingspan of 27 metres.
The genitive shows possession and follows a small set of prepositions. Masculine and neuter nouns add s or es. In speech it is often replaced by von plus the dative, but it is alive in writing and in fixed expressions.
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Words(22)
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- solarbetrieben
solar-powered
adjectiveC1
- die Drohne
drone, drone aircraft
nounB1pl. Drohnengen. Drohneweak declension
- HAP-alpha
proper name of the drone
nounC2
- mit
with, by (means of transport)
prepositionA1governs dative
Always dative, including travel: 'mit dem Bus, mit dem Rad'.
- 27
twenty-seven
numeralA1
- der Meter
metre
nounA1pl. Metergen. Metersstrong declension
- die Spannweite
wingspan, span
nounC1pl. Spannweitengen. Spannweitemixed declension
- sollen
should, to be supposed to
verbA2sollen, sollte, gesolltmit habenmodal
In reporting, 'soll' signals that something is planned or claimed rather than fact.
- einmal
one day, eventually, once
adverbA2temporal
Here means 'some day in the future', not 'one time only'.
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- die Lage
situation, position, location
nounB1pl. die Lagengen. der Lagestrong declension
In news language die Lage usually means 'the situation', not 'location'.
- sein
to be
verbA1sein, war, ist gewesenmit seinirregular
Copula here linking subject to predicate noun.
- bis
until, to, as far as
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Alone it takes the accusative ('bis Montag'); with 'zu' it means 'up to and including' and follows the dative.
- unter
lower, under
adjectiveB2unterer, am untersten
- die Stratosphäre
stratosphere
nounC1pl. Stratosphärengen. Stratosphärestrong declension
- also
so, that is, thus
adverbA2modal
Here used to introduce a paraphrase: 'that is to say'.
- etwa
about, approximately
particleB1
Before numbers it means 'approximately', not 'perhaps'.
- zwanzig
twenty
numeralA1
- der Kilometer
kilometre
nounA1pl. Kilometergen. Kilometersstrong declension
Used without an article in measurements: 2,5 Kilometer lang.
- die Höhe
height, altitude
nounA2pl. Höhengen. Höhemixed declension
- aufsteigen
to ascend, to climb, to rise
verbB2aufsteigen, stieg auf, ist aufgestiegenmit seinseparablestrong
zu-infinitive is formed by inserting zu between prefix and stem: aufzusteigen.