Sceye completes uncrewed stratospheric airship test flight from the US to Japan and back
An uncrewed airship recently completed a round-trip flight from New Mexico to Japan and back, marking a major milestone for stratospheric telecommunications.
An uncrewed airship recently completed a round-trip flight from New Mexico to Japan and back, marking a major milestone for stratospheric telecommunications. US aerospace company Sceye conducted the month-long flight between August and September 2026 to test its lighter-than-air platform's ability to act as a floating cell phone tower.
The helium-filled platform uses an electric-powered propeller to resist strong winds and hover over specific locations. According to Sceye founder and CEO Mikkel Frandsen, the vehicle operates at roughly 60,000 feet, placing it above the jet stream and twice as high as commercial air traffic. Top-mounted solar panels and onboard batteries allow the aircraft to maintain continuous day-and-night operations in the stratosphere.
This altitude sits about 30 times closer to Earth than low-Earth orbit satellites, bridging a significant gap in connectivity infrastructure. The design allows the persistent craft to stay positioned over a single operational area and recharge its batteries automatically when the sun rises.
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Original publication: 19 October 2026 16:35
