| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1714184 | Acta Astronautica | 2016 | 12 Pages |
•A geostationary high-altitude balloon platform is described.•Feasible, based on existing, proven technologies.•Superpressure balloon, electrohydrodynamic thrusters, wireless power transmission.•Potential applications and benefits are discussed.•Mission architecture, energy needs, safety concerns, and future work discussed.
A stable, ultra long-duration high-altitude balloon (HAB) platform which can maintain stationary position would represent a new paradigm for telecommunications and high-altitude observation and transmission services, with greatly reduced cost and complexity compared to existing technologies including satellites, telecom towers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This contribution proposes a lightweight superpressure balloon platform for deployment to an altitude of 25 km. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) thrusters are presented to maintain position by overcoming stratospheric winds. Critical to maintaining position is a continual supply of electrical power to operate the on-board propulsion system. One viable solution is to deliver power wirelessly to a high-altitude craft from a ground-based transmitter. Microwave energy, not heavily attenuated by the atmosphere, can be provided remotely from a ground-based generator (magnetron, klystron, etc.) and steered electrically with an antenna array (phased array) at a designated frequency (such as 2.45 or 5.8 GHz). A rectifying antenna (“rectenna”) on the bottom of the balloon converts waves into direct current for on-board use. Preliminary mission architecture, energy requirements, and safety concerns for a proposed system are presented along with recommended future work.
