SkyOrbiter UAVs will fly for years at a time and provide global internet access

Quarkson wants to achieve a number of flight challenges as a means of testing and developing the SkyOrbiters

The internet has become a critical means of communication during humanitarian crises and a crucial everyday tool for people around the world. Now, a Portuguese company wants to make sure everyone has access to it. Quarkson plans to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to transmit internet access “to every corner of the world.”

Quarkson’s SkyOrbiter program is similar to Google’s Project Loon, which also seeks to deliver internet access to remote places. Where Google plans to float internet-enabled balloons above the earth, however, Quarkson intends to use a fleet of high-range UAVs much like the Titan Aerospace Solara 50 to deliver connectivity from orbit.

The SkyOrbiter fleet comprises six different low-altitude models and three high-altitude models. The most basic SkyOrbiter is the LA25. It is designed for commercial and government use and is able to provide connectivity to areas where none is available. The LA25 has a wingspan of about 25 m (82 ft), operates at 3,500 m (11,500 ft) and has a range of over 42,000 km (26,000 mi) or up to two weeks.

Each of the subsequent low altitude SkyOrbiters has an increased wingspan and range right up to the LA75, which has a wingspan of 75 m (246 ft) and a range of over 150,000 km (93,000 mi) or up to seven weeks. Unlike the low-altitude models, the high altitude UAVs orbit at 22,000 m (72,000 ft) and can stay in orbit for years as opposed to weeks. The most advanced of the high-altitude models, the HA75, has a wingspan of around 75 m (246 ft) and a range of up to 5,000,000 km (3,000,000 mi) or five years.

The Latest on: UAV internet access

[google_news title=”” keyword=”UAV internet access” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]

via Google News

The Latest on: UAV internet access

BRICS Foreign Affair Ministers On Ukraine War, Sudan Conflict, Terrorism, Artificial Intelligence
on June 2, 2023 at 9:20 am
The statement came after the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Relations met on Thursday in Cape Town, South Africa to exchange views on major global and regional trends and issues.
Jack Teixeira Should Have Been Stopped Again and Again
on May 31, 2023 at 7:57 am
Similarly, the still-mushrooming fiasco of Jack Teixeira’s disclosure of national secrets is not just about a single service member or incident, but a cascading failure of systems within the armed ...
Elon Musk Gives the West a Major Fact About China
on May 30, 2023 at 4:45 pm
The entrepreneur is reportedly visiting Beijing, where he is expected to meet Chinese officials. This visit comes at a time of U.S.-China tensions.
Under the sea and ready for war? US wants to spend billions on spy submarine to fend off ocean-deep China, Russia advances
on May 29, 2023 at 12:20 pm
The U.S. Navy wants to spend $5.1 billion on a high-tech, tricked out spy submarine as seabed warfare ramps up and U.S., China and Russia battle for dominance.
Ron DeSantis Signs Bill Shielding Elon Musk’s SpaceX From Lawsuits
on May 26, 2023 at 9:45 am
An unmanned SpaceX rocket exploded last month, resulting in catastrophic environmental damage. Newly announced GOP presidential candidate and Florida governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill into state ...
Ethernet turns 50, but its voyage has only begun
on May 22, 2023 at 12:05 pm
With the tech world celebrating Ethernet's 50th anniversary this week, the technology is adapting to evolving network demands as varied as AI, distributed computing, and virtual reality.
IRGC confirms specs for Shahed-136 attack UAV
on May 16, 2023 at 5:00 pm
(Mehr News Agency) Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) released performance specifications for the Shahed-136 one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) when it displayed one publicly ...
Israeli firm reveals unmanned submarine BlueWhale
on May 8, 2023 at 9:43 am
Israeli firm IAI has developed an unmanned submarine, dubbed BlueWhale. (Courtesy of Israel Aerospace Industries) JERUSALEM — Israel Aerospace Industries has developed a new unmanned submarine ...
IAI reveals first-ever unmanned Israeli mini-submarine
on May 4, 2023 at 6:07 am
Israel Aerospace Industries on Thursday revealed a first-ever and potentially game-changing Israeli-made unmanned mini-submarine. It is expected to expand the IDF’s intelligence-gathering ...
Turkey debuts prototype TB3 UAV
on May 3, 2023 at 11:49 am
The TB3 UAV was showcased publicly for the first time at Teknofest 2023 in Istanbul. (Diego Cupolo/NurPhoto via Getty Images) A prototype of the Baykar Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV ...