Sanswire Demonstrates First Stratellite

Sterling D. Allan writes "Pure Energy Systems News (PESN) reports that GlobeTel Communications Corp. debuted their Sanswire Stratellite last week 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. Stationed 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. One 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."

Comments

wow

[sfcat]

This is impressive. Solar powered, but are there weather problems at this altitude? I guess not, but can we put cameras on this thing too. Better maps for google maps, yea. When does it fly by SF again?

Re:Wireless capability is a lot less than 300,000s

[Z0mb1eman]

From TsameFA (actually, just the line above):

# Line-of-sight to a 300,000 square mile area
# Wireless capability (currently) to an area with a radius of 200 miles

Radius 200 miles ~= 125,000 square miles, anyway... not sure if that counts as "a lot" less.

And it seems to imply that the wireless capability will eventually be extended to approach the entire line of sight area...