A plane powered by liquid hydrogen has made its first test flight in the US.

Global Observer was developed by Californian company AeroVironment and uses hydrogen fuel cells to drive the plane's eight propellers.

It can reportedly fly for up to 24 hours on a full tank of hydrogen.

So far, the plane has completed two flights of just over an hour each, AeroVironment's director of Washington operations, Alex Hill, told BBC News.

The company hopes that hydrogen-powered planes could be used to replace or work alongside satellites, as telecommunications platforms.

Such a development in hydrogen technology for aviation use also has great potential in cutting down on emissions from air travel, which are expected to be up to 11 times greater by 2050.