"We want to focus where we're truly differentiated from anything that anybody else is doing," Poynter said.įor example, hurricanes are monitored as they develop and begin to move, and this monitoring is done in such a way that scientists can't keep sensors directly over the storm for long periods of time, according to Poynter. That means Stratollites could provide consistent monitoring of extreme weather or natural disasters, combat zones and ocean shipping routes affected by ice flows, company representatives said at the news conference. The company will also use the facility for developing its new uncrewed vehicles, called Stratollites, a name that combines "stratosphere" and "satellites." Stratollites can reach maximum altitudes of about 150,000 feet (45,000 meters) and remain above the same region of the Earth for days, weeks or months, according to the company website. (Image credit: Courtesy of World View Enterprises) World View will use its new facility to manufacture its stratospheric balloons and assemble the spacecraft that are attached to the balloons, as well as for payload integration and flight mission control.Ī look inside the new headquarters of World View Enterprises in Tucson, Arizona. "So that's where this technology, using high altitude balloons up in the stratosphere, has essentially, at this point, with the opening of this building, opened an entire new world of business and aviation." ![]() But in the stratosphere, basically nothing," Kelly said. "Trillions of dollars spent within the atmosphere, hundreds of billions of dollars spent in orbit around the Earth. There's very little air in the stratosphere (a limit for airplanes) and it would be extremely difficult to get something to orbit the Earth at such a low altitude, Kelly said. But most of the stratosphere - between about 55,000 and 165,000 feet above the Earth - remains under used. Above about 500,000 feet (152000 meters), satellites are now prevalent, and the commercial space industry continues to blossom. The commercial airline industry generates trillions of dollars per year utilizing the region of the atmosphere up to about 55,000 feet (16,000 meters), said former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, who is a co-founder of World View and serves as director of flight crew operations. ![]() World View' Enterprises' four co-founders spoke during the news conference about the untapped potential of the stratosphere. (Image credit: Courtesy of World View Enterprises) Stratospheric satellites Ī stratospheric balloon manufacturing table in the new World View Enterprises headquarters is more than one-tenth of a mile (528 feet,160 meters) long. World View employees have already started working out of the new digs, and the first uncrewed launches from Spaceport Tucson are expected to take place in the next few months, company representatives told. The spaceport is owned by Pima County (where it is located) but is operated by World View Enterprises, which now has its headquarters attached to the spaceport. The newly completed Spaceport Tucson was built specifically to launch high-altitude balloons, and includes a 700-foot-wide (200 meters) launchpad. ![]() The balloon could also carry equipment for scientific investigations, communications, remote sensing and wealth of other potential applications. ![]() The balloons can carry instruments and equipment that could, for example, be used to consistently observe severe weather events or natural disasters. The new facility will soon be launching World View's non-crewed high altitude balloons, which could provide a low-cost alternative to launching payloads into space, according to company representatives.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |