Experiment of telecom/broadcasting mission using a high-altitude solar-powered aerial vehicle Pathfinder Plus

Abstract

A series of telecommunication and broadcasting tests using a high-altitude platform in the stratosphere at an altitude of 20 km was carried out on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in June-July 2002. For the high-altitude platform, we used a NASA solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Pathfinder Plus. The tests were successfully completed, and the first in the world. This paper provides the configuration of the tests and reports some of their results.