This ‘Cell Tower in the Sky’ Just Completed a Record-Breaking 18,641-Mile Round Trip to Japan, tell me about this news in (https://gizmodo.com/this-cell-tower-in-the-sky-just-completed-a-record-breaking-journey-from-the-u-s-to-japan-2000810616)
11-09-2026
Here is a summary of the article:Aerospace company Sceye recently completed a record-breaking 30-day trans-Pacific test flight using its solar-powered stratospheric airship, acting as a “cell tower in the sky.”Key details from the mission:
- The Journey: The unmanned airship launched its Service Test 1 (ST1) mission on August 9, 2026, from New Mexico, traveled across the Pacific to Japan, and returned to New Mexico on September 5, 2026. In total, it covered 18,641 miles (about 30,000 kilometers).
- How It Works: Known as a High Altitude Platform System (HAPS), the airship floats in the stratosphere using helium buoyancy rather than consuming fuel. Solar cells mounted across the top of its hull power its onboard systems and propulsion to keep position against stratospheric winds, allowing it to stay aloft for long durations.
- Connectivity Testing: The vehicle carried “SceyeCell,” an airborne antenna engineered to deliver wide-area mobile broadband directly to ordinary, unmodified consumer phones. While operating over Japan for about a week, the platform demonstrated voice calls, SMS text messages, general web browsing, and video streaming, alongside disaster-alert tests and communication with drones.
- Target Goal: According to Sceye, a fully deployed airship can cover the equivalent area of roughly 500 ground-based cell towers. The company aims to provide direct-to-device connectivity that serves as a flexible, lower-cost alternative to low-Earth orbit satellite constellations, operating much closer to the planet (roughly 1,800 times closer than geostationary satellites) for stronger signal capacity.