AALTO Zephyr 8 | Dossier “As well as our technology now being mature, Airbus saw the business opportunity of stratospheric connectivity. But Airbus knows it isn’t a comms company, so spinning AALTO out gave us the freedom to research that industry and specialise in it. “And although we’re still intrinsically linked with Airbus by things like shared IT, expertise and governance, we’re encouraged to form new partnerships, funding and so on at our will to become sustainable on our own.” Much of the Zephyr’s intrinsic value relative to satellite-based comms and Earth observation comes from its superior latency. It is trialling payloads with latencies of 5-10 ms, meaning connectivity of an order of magnitude faster than LEO satellites, and faster still than GEO satellites (which have latencies upwards of 600 ms). Both LEO and GEO satellites also require proprietary technology to function, meaning they are often restricted to connect only with satellite terminals. Conversely, the Zephyr’s payload agnosticism enables systems with direct-to-device (D2D) 5G connections, allowing high-bandwidth connectivity for smartphones and other personal devices wherever needed. “Even when using existing satcom networks like Iridium, the connection quality is very poor, and you can’t work with it without buying really expensive equipment. Apple has made some strides in satellite-based texting, but it’s still really difficult to do live voice or video,” Tyler says. “We can fill wide gaps in terrestrial infrastructure across the world for D2D connectivity. Even in the US, there are massive gaps in cellular coverage in rural, mountainous and other areas; a few steps off-highway can cut your phone connection. “So we’re talking with the T-Mobiles and Deutsche Telekoms of the world. It’s probably not suitable to hire us to fly over a city, except maybe during a major sporting or entertainment event where hundreds of thousands gather in one place, and the local networks can’t handle everyone using their smartphones at once. But all the telecoms companies want to offer persistent, 5G, D2D connectivity to rural and mountain regions without the expenses and onerous project management needed for new satellites or base stations.” The UAV’s Earth observation capabilities have also been promoted under the OPAZ (Optical Payloads for Airbus Zephyr) branding, with the HAPS offered as a much lower-cost means of providing live video from orbit than launching new video satellites, with any camera configurable to integrate in the aircraft so long as the 4-5 kg payload capacity is adhered to. 15MM CASE SERVO SG15BL SOUTH KOREA • Research & Development • Engineering & Manufacturing UNITED STATES • Research & Development • Distribution, Sales & Support PHILIPPINES • Manufacturing • Logistics MTTF DATA Compact Dimensions 31x15x50mm Wide Operating Voltage 9.0~15.0V Peak Torque 11kgf•cm North American Sales & Support San Diego, CA | www.HitecCS.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mzk4