Sofya Howard

It’s hard to believe that it’s been just a little over a year since we formed the HAPS Alliance. Our focus has been on awareness, education, and outreach, but this year we’ll have an increased focus on interoperability and standards, as well as understanding some of the fundamental economic challenges that we need to address for HAPS to scale.

Loon just announced that it will be closing down operations over the next several months. The company will remain a HAPS Alliance member through this transition, and Ken Riordan will continue in his role as President of the Alliance.

Stratosyst is a Czech company based in Prague that was founded with one single purpose – to make long-term sustainable stratospheric flight a reality. The original idea was to develop HAPS as an astronomic observatory, and the whole concept was presented this way at the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide in 2017 and in Washington in 2019.

Filtronic designs and manufactures products that transmit, receive, condition and manage radio waves, particularly at microwave and mmWave frequencies. Mission-critical communication networks depend on our systems and components.

Intelsat is an active member of the HAPS Alliance and an avid supporter of HAPS technologies, including communications, imaging, and sensors supporting M2M and IoT. The energy and support that HAPS Mobile and Loon established with the launch of the HAPS Alliance to introduce the world to HAPS impressed us.

AeroVironment is a pioneer and global leader in HAPS unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). In the 1980s, AeroVironment invented the concept of solar-powered UAS for long endurance operation in the stratosphere to provide connectivity, remote sensing and other valuable capabilities.

Exploring new frontiers is always exciting. When the expedition requires the cooperative efforts of distinct industries, the adventure becomes even more challenging and opportunistic..