Satellite

Using high altitude airships or long range weather balloons rather than going into orbit!

• Maintain position around a zone of gps co-ordinates, could be used as a system of emergency communications e.g. disaster zone, within 2 or 3 hours you could have it up and it would cover a fair area for perhaps photography or communications
• There should be little air movement above the jet stream, so it won't drift (confirmation? See Bellow)
• Perhaps use compressed air as propulsion to maintain position (though would be a limiting fuel)
  • what about a point/ring ionizer as a soure of propulsion (driven form solar panels)
  • High Speed ducted fans (A nice project would be to measure thurst in reduced pressure chamber)
• obviously solar panels - due to the height they would be far more efficient then on the surface
• Perhaps use normal balloon to provide the lift to get the payload/satellite into position
  • Or, a helium balloon cluster that is disposed after reaching certain altitude.
• Due to the gradual lost of He from the standard balloons perhaps use a metallic balloon or have a helium canister onboard to refill to maintain altitude. The other alternative is to have ballast (such as water of compressed air) which can then be vented/dropped to maintain altitude
  • Possible to change the ballon shape/size with tensioners to reduce volume/boyancy?

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