Google is going to launch the 180 microsatellites for "connectedness" of remote regions

Apparently, Google is going to spend a billion dollars on interesting projects. Project goal - to connect to a network of remote regions where conventional methods may be either impossible or too expensive.

According to the Wall Street Journal , corporation hires new employees who had previously worked in the "satellite" of the company. The project will be headed by Greg Weiler (Greg Wyler), founder of Microsatellite startup O3b Networks.

far as we can tell, the satellites will be really small in size and their weight would be 113 kilograms (250 pounds). However, the total cost of the project amounts to about 3 billion, including all operating, direct and indirect, costs.

Google is now working with other similar projects, Project Loon, which has already been contacted Habré . However, here we use balloons instead of satellites. On similar projects running and Facebook, but this project did not plan to use satellites and balloons, and drones.



By the way, here's a comparison of capabilities of drones and balloons, planned to be used in the projects on "connectedness" (taken from here ):

Balloons Google:
height of 18-30 km
covering radius of 19.9 km - 1244 sq. km
payload of 10 kg
Power source - solar panels
receiver mini satellite dish

UAV Facebook
Solara Solara 50 and 60
height of 18 - 24 km
Power source - solar panels - 7 kW
payload Solara 50 - 31 kg, Solara 60 - 100 kg
covering radius of 28.9 km - 2623 sq. km
minus - need batteries for night operations

In principle, all these projects can be part of a larger project that uses both satellites and balloons, and drones. If not all at once, but at least one of these projects (and maybe now a company develops and yet something like that) may well become successful. And then even regions whose inhabitants have long lost hope for global connectivity, will be "connected".

Via theverge

Source: habrahabr.ru/post/224933/