Solar Craft to Beam 5G From Edge of Space This Summer

Imagine looking up and seeing a giant silver airship hovering quietly at the edge of space, connecting millions of people to the internet below.

That vision moves closer to reality this August when New Mexico company Sceye launches its stratospheric platform over Japan. The helium-filled craft will float 11 miles up, far above commercial airplanes but well below orbiting satellites, to test boosting Softbank's 5G network.

The 200-foot aircraft belongs to a new category called HAPS (high-altitude platform stations). These aren't quite planes, balloons, or blimps but something in between, wrapped in reflective fabric and covered in solar panels that power them around the clock.

The stratosphere offers a sweet spot for telecommunications. It's close enough to Earth that signals require far less energy than satellite transmissions, yet high enough that one platform can cover hundreds of square miles. "What we ultimately offer is space-like conditions, without the cost of going to space," says Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, Sceye's CEO.

Staying put isn't easy at that altitude. Sceye's craft must be lightweight enough to float while carrying heavy communication equipment and batteries. Solar panels collect energy during daylight hours to power an electric fan that fights wind currents and holds position through the night.

The company proved its design works during a 2024 test flight. This spring, another test kept the platform aloft for 12 days as it traveled to Brazil's coast and held steady at various positions for more than 88 hours.

The Ripple Effect

The technology could transform how we think about connectivity. When disasters knock out cell towers, a HAPS could restore service within hours. Remote communities that can't afford expensive infrastructure could get reliable internet for the first time.

The platforms could also help satellite companies better serve cities where demand overwhelms networks. Sceye isn't alone in this race. Airbus subsidiary Aalto and other companies are developing similar systems for communications and Earth observation.

Frandsen envisions a future where spotting these stratospheric stations becomes as ordinary as seeing cargo ships in harbors or freight trains crossing the landscape. The sky may soon become our newest communications hub, floating silently and connecting us all.