Sanswire's First Stratellite Unveiled
Situated in the stratosphere, well above the jet stream, powered by
film solar photovoltaic units, the device will make wireless communications
available anywhere in the U.S., including on airline flights.
Compiled by Sterling
D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News
MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA -- GlobeTel
Communications Corp. has introduced a new genre of air craft dubbed Stratellite,
by Sanswire, its wholly owned subsidiary. It is not a balloon or a blimp.
It is a high-altitude airship designed to provide a stationary platform
situated in the stratosphere, from which it will be able to transmit wireless
communications services presently transmitted from cell towers and satellites.
The craft is powered by solar powered electrical engines. The outer
envelope is covered in film photovoltaic units.
Placing a communications platform into the stratosphere, in the form of an
airship, has never been done before. A Stratellite will be able to
consistently deliver wireless voice, video, and data services at a much lower
cost than technologies of today.
Each craft will reach its final altitude by utilizing proprietary lifting gas
technology. Once in place at 65,000 feet (approx. 13 miles), safely above the
jet stream, each Stratellite will remain in one GPS coordinate, providing the
ideal wireless transmission platform. The Stratellites are unmanned airships and
will be monitored from the Companys Operation Centers on the ground.
Sanswire One at the
Unveiling. Portions of the frame were left open to show the inside
construction. |
Sanswire One, the first Stratellite, was unveiled Tuesday to over 300 people,
including members of the media, personnel from the U.S. Department of Defense,
U.S. and international commercial interests, as well as investors and
shareholders.
A Stratellite will have a payload capacity of several thousand pounds and
clear line-of-sight to approximately 300,000 square miles, an area roughly the
size of Texas.
The Stratellite is similar to a satellite in concept, but is stationed in the
stratosphere rather than in orbit. Existing satellites provide easy
"download" capabilities, but because of their high altitude are not
practical for commercially viable "two-way" high-speed data
communication. The Stratellite will allow subscribers to easily communicate in
"both directions" using readily available wireless devices.
Once the National Wireless Broadband Network is completed, Sanswire will be
able to provide voice, video, and broadband Internet access to all parts of the
country.
STRATELLITE SPECS:
- Length: 245 feet
- Width: 145 feet
- Height: 87 feet
- Volume: 1.3 million cubic feet
- Dual envelopes, both made of Kevlar
- Powered by electric motors
- Outer envelope covered in film photovoltaic (solar) units
- Payload capacity: 3,000 pounds
- Maximum altitude: 70,000 feet
- Desired altitude: 65,000 feet
- Proprietary Lifting Gas Technology
- Held in position by 6 onboard GPS units connected to the ships engines
- Line-of-sight to a 300,000 square mile area
- Wireless capability (currently) to an area with a radius of 200 miles
- Controlled by earth stations on the ground
- Maximum duration: 18 months (a replacement ship will be in position prior
to bringing original ship down for retrofitting. The original ship will
return to its position after retrofitting.
- Each airship is 100% reclaimable
"Our goal from the time we made our first wireless connection, has been
to create a way that our subscribers could move freely around the country while
staying connected to the Internet at high-speed. Therefore, we have developed
and have begun construction on what we believe is the most exciting
telecommunications project of our generation, our National Wireless Broadband
Network.
"This Network will allow users to access the Internet at high-speed from
anywhere in the country using wireless devices that are readily available."
# # #
SOURCES
http://www.sanswire.com
- official website
http://www.sanswire.com/stratellites.htm
- explanation of Stratellite
http://www.spacewar.com/news/uav-05zg.html
http://www.globetel.net/ - Global
Communications Corp.
http://www.globetel.net/networks-technology/sanswire.html
Feedback
Correction
From: aaron_b
To: Sterling D. Allan
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2005 7:18 AM
Hey, I was just doing something else and I noticed that your Sanswire item which
links over to the Pure Energy Systems website has outdated info on their
Stratellite. Sanswire needs to update their website on the Stratellite specs but
they probably haven't because they are still changing things and so they
probably figure there is no point since it will just keep changing until they
get the test flights over with.
Well, anyways..... if you do a Google search on it you'll find that they changed
the length of it and they switched to Tedlar instead of Kevlar (reason I
remember that is because I work at Shell Solar and we use Tedlar for the panels
[Shell bought Siemens years ago]). Also, I think they will be using Daystar
Technologies' Lightfoil product as I don't see any other competitors in the
solar foil market. But I'm not sure about that.
Aaron B
Other Coverage
- Launch
of the "Stratellite"
- There's a new player in the
telecommunication business. A high-altitude 'Stratellite' blimp could
soon do similar jobs of satellites in extremely low orbits. Click to
find out how it works and who will use it... (DiscoveryChannel.ca;
April 25, 2005)
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Page composed by Sterling
D. Allan Apr. 16, 2005
Last updated July 16, 2005
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