Stratolink

History

2024: The start of production of stratospheric drones for the provision of communication services and the Internet

The Russian startup Stratolink has begun producing the first domestic pseudo-satellites - unmanned aerial vehicles for deploying communication networks in hard-to-reach regions. This became known on December 24, 2024.

According to CNews, the company plans to attract ₽1,7 billion investments to implement the project. Engineers have already begun creating two 1:5 scale demonstration models to test the declared characteristics.

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Фото: Freepik

Stratolink chief executive Nicholas Oxman said the aircraft-type drone would be powered by four 7.4 kW electric motors powered by solar power. The device will be able to fly without landing for about a month at an altitude of 18-25 km.

The mass of the device will be 315 kg with a wingspan of 40 m. The drone will be able to reach a speed of 120-140 km/h and carry a payload of up to 40 kg. Control will be carried out by an on-board computer with artificial intelligence.

The design provides for the installation of solar panels on the upper surface of the wing to store energy in the daytime. Propellers with the opposite direction of rotation will provide stable flight in a rarefied atmosphere and compensation for the reactive moment.

Pseudosatellites are designed for the operational deployment of temporary communication networks and the Internet in shift camps, scientific expeditions and disaster areas. Their operation is much cheaper than the use of spacecraft.

A similar project called Aquila was previously developed by Meta (recognized as extremist in Russia), but closed it in 2018 after two test flights. The last flight lasted 1 hour 46 minutes at an altitude of 914 m.

In the front of the Russian apparatus there will be a rotary platform for installing surveillance and remote sensing devices, and the internal compartment is intended for telecommunication equipment.^[1]

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