Facebook is going to cover Africa with a network of "atmospheric satellites"

According to sources from TechCrunch, Facebook intends to buy Titan Aerospace for $ 60 million. Titan Aerospace develops the so-called "atmospheric satellites" - unmanned aircraft with solar batteries , capable of continuously being in the air for up to five years. They can be used for aerial photography, reconnaissance, surveillance and wireless communications. Facebook is interested in the latest use of drones. The largest social network is the founder of the initiative internet.org , the purpose of which is to make the Internet accessible to the whole world. Now more than two thirds of the world's population does not have access to the network. Mostly these people live in third world countries, primarily in Africa.



Facebook plans to start with the construction of 11,000 Solara 60 drone-class aircraft, which will fly over Africa. Each such "satellite" is capable of carrying up to 100 kg of payload. It will fly at an altitude of 20 km, where there are practically no clouds and strong wind. One such drone is able to provide a territory of several hundred square kilometers with communications.





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Interestingly, the positioning of electric unmanned aircraft as “atmospheric satellites” is not just a publicity stunt. The fact is that, according to US law, the airspace regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration ends at an altitude of 60,000 feet. Titan Aerospace satellites fly a little higher and this saves them from many legal difficulties. In many other countries, especially developing ones, airspace is not as tightly regulated as in the USA, and there should be even less problems.



Last year, a similar initiative was launched by another corporation, Google. Their Loom project as a platform for communication equipment involves using not airplanes, but balloons, also flying at an altitude of about 20 km.