Page 68 - World Airnews Magazine March 2020 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL NEWS DIGITAL

HELPING THE WORLD FROM machine learning, communications systems
and renewable energy, their accomplish-
ABOVE ments thus far are remarkable:
• Peru, 2019: When a devastating
8.0 magnitude earthquake struck
Peru and surrounding area, Loon
Loon balloons set new limits in connectivity and aeronautics re-directed a group of nearby
balloons, serving critical LTE service
drifting on wind currents between 50,000 very same Maxeon® solar cells found on to survivors and local authorities in
and 70,000 feet. We’ve created what is rooftops around the world could withstand record time.
Without warning, a magnitude 8.0 essentially a stratospheric submarine the extreme weather conditions of the • Puerto Rico, 2017: After Hurricane
earthquake strikes. that utilizes the sun, the air, some pretty stratosphere – including intense UV Maria made landfall and caused
After what seems like an eternity, the cool machines, and a collection of smart radiation levels, 100 km/hr winds and widespread damage to the island’s
violent tremors cease. Thousands of algorithms, “said Salvatore Candido, Head temperatures as low as -90 degrees Celsius. infrastructure, Loon worked
survivors are left without food, clean water of Engineering at Loon with governmental agencies and
or electricity. Much like a group of cell towers on the They also knew that homes and international aviation authorities to
Most lines of communication are ground, Loon balloons form a network businesses with Maxeon solar cells produce bring desperately-needed internet
destroyed. Families can’t contact loved to serve a specific geographical area. But 35% more energy over 25 years in the same connectivity to the hardest hit areas.
ones. Local officials struggle to coordinate these “towers” are constantly moving, space as other solar.1 generating enough • Peru, 2017: Extreme rains and heavy
delivery of critical supplies. and must be guided up or down to reach power to keep Loon’s vital systems running flooding displaced tens of thousands
of people in and around Lima, with
But as the crisis unfolded on the ground the specific layer of wind that will blow day and night, even within such a small Peruvian government
in Peru, something truly remarkable was them in the desired direction. This precise surface area, was achievable. officials declaring a state
happening high overhead. choreography requires a host of advanced So SunPower's team in France got to of emergency for more
At the edge of space, several stratospher- on-board equipment, all powered by work manufacturing highly-specialized than 800 provinces.
ic balloons moved into position and began SunPower® solar technology: a navigation solar panels to meet Loon’s exacting Loon’s arrival was
delivering internet connectivity to the system using complex algorithms and specifications. By developing an excep- critical in reestablishing
stricken communities below. All within 48 software. A specialized solar pump to tionally thin panel structure and stripping communications
hours. control air pressure and altitude. A out every gram of non-essential weight, infrastructure to help
rechargeable battery to store solar power
they painstakingly crafted a first-ever solar
For the survivors of that unforgettable for nighttime use. Sophisticated weather solution: a feather-light, 1-kilogram panel recovery efforts in the
Sunday morning in 2019, it was help from monitoring devices, and more. Successful capable of producing 165 watts of clean worst flood zones.
above. operation requires each component to power. The SunPower stratospheric solar
All thanks to a revolutionary network of be highly reliable, extremely durable and power system for Loon was a reality. THE NEXT LEVEL FOR LOON
high-altitude balloons created and oper- incredibly lightweight. And the solar power
ated by Loon, one of Alphabet’s newest source is no exception. In addition to providing
independent businesses (formerly a part relief to disaster areas, Loon
of Google [X]). By redesigning the essential A HIGH-FLYING VISION is broadening its impact.
components of a cell tower so they can be Today, Loon is well on its way to fulfilling They are currently working
carried high above Earth, the pioneers at A FIRST-EVER SOLAR SOLUTION its ambitious mission: to connect people with telecommunications
Loon have provided emergency internet From the outset, SunPower engineers everywhere by inventing and integrating companies and governments
connectivity to hundreds of thousands of were confident that our solar technology audacious technologies. As pioneers in to provide connectivity to
victims of natural disasters. Loon is also was ideal for Loon. They knew that the atmospheric modeling, materials science, unserved and underserved
making it possible to extend communities around the globe.
internet access to countless SunPower is proud to provide
unserved and underserved solar expertise to the pioneers
communities around the world. at Loon as they shape a safer,
more connected future. Q

A STRATOSPHERIC LOON QUICK FACTS
CHALLENGE
An elegantly simple idea on Mission: Connect people everywhere.
its surface, the Loon balloon Energy: Custom 100 watt SunPower Maxeon solar panels by day,
network is one of the most rechargeable battery at night
complex and demanding
challenges ever undertaken in Flight Altitude: 18,000 - 23,000 metres
the realm of science, engi-
neering and technology. Only Stratospheric Conditions: Temperatures as low as -90 degrees Celsius. Air pressure is 99%
the best and brightest have lower than at sea level. Thin atmosphere offers little protection
been selected to take part in from UV radiation.
what has become an incubator
of scientific brilliance. This is Flight Duration: More than 100 days before a controlled landing.
why SunPower is humbled and
honored to be the sole provider Flight Duration Record: 223 days, a stratospheric flight record for any aircraft.
of solar technology for Loon Cumulative Flight Time: More than 1 million hours.
since its first official launch in
2013. Cumulative Flight Distance: More than 40 million kilometers, enough to circle the earth 1,000
“Our balloons navigate by ti m e s .

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