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nobody has it. Everbody wants it.
Baghdad Bob, great timing on reposting this article.
Thanks.
It's something that we as investors, in this beaten down two-bit (make that 6+ cents) company, tend to forget.
When China comes knocking and says we'll make our own
(2 years ago and still nothing from them).....be happy.
Because, nobody has it. Not even us, yet
(commercial stratospheric craft to be clear). And if China can't beat us to market like they do the Movie industry daily in the alleys of Beijing, then they don't know how. Hey, they're just balloons, right?!? lol
To be in such a market with a nearterm product
(yes, 2010 for this kind of product is not excessive),
and have the line start to queue outside (all those delegates from multi US departments go to see the Airchain do it's thing...count),
and the most populous nation on earth get surly with you as you generously show them the future, (as Kroplin did) is fantastic!
Bob, yesterday you asked what the glue in all this is. I fixated only on Globetel's supply-side of the equation and what they used to connect with the government.
And Nerlimerlin correctly added the name (am sure Dan E. as Mide mentioned is included) of an individual at GTEM with, some gov't pull, but the stongest pull of all comes from the customer (supply side). It's Demand.
Consumer demand, drives everything. Because without it, there is no market, and with it....
People line-up when there is yet..no product. Kinda like we are seeing play out in Stuttgart now. Or in this article you've reposted today. Or when the gov't first sat down with the Sanswire folks in 2005.
Anybody who has Airchains stacked like cordword in a shed, already has the right design approach for testing and product development. I await the Chinese version this August in Beijing. Stuttgart's will be a little tardy in October.
B. was a bit hasty sending..this completes it
"It was at this point, the S-1"....was now primped and ready to do it's duty for the energy researchers of Lawrence Livermore Labratory. Quid pro quo.
-------------------------------------------------------
"Bob,
you ask, what's the glue, what's the point of all this?
I'm saying look to the Binding to know the Glue. The same kind of secret tie Sanswire obviously committed with Tao back in late 2005 and now has been revealed, is of the same kind of hidden bond the US gov't formed loosely with Globetel back in early 2005.
You can see the same give-and-take going on, just not the paper. This though will reveal itself more fully with US contracts for Sanswire."
So the glue is the same. What is it? For Kroplin it was the tech.. Actual proof of concept worked out over a decade. The airchain works, it was just waiting for technology to catch up in key component areas. Like Thin Film solar. Kroplin had the canning process down, he was just waiting for the can opener to be invented.
For Sanswire it was, in my opinion a very unique tech. argument (they had yet to prove it out unlike Kroplin) based on two complementary elements: Vern Kroenig's gas management system and.....a rigid airship. Marrying the two was brilliant, and completely counter to conventional wisdom. Checkmate Bobby Fischer.
Technology binds or it goes nowhere.
At least that's one opinion.
nite.
Baghdad...the tie that binds.
Thank you for those photos and kindness. Pictures are so much more easily absorbed by the mind then boring words. You surely must crave a sleep inducing, deeply opinionated explanation. As you wish....
sim-sali-bim!
This Oct., will mark the 4th time a US delegation from diverse departments (and assorted represenatives) have sat with Sanswire.
The First (2005), occurring in the midst of Vern K's construction of his Sanswire One, established the tempo of this performance we currently are observing.[ This is important. Let's look.]
For, it was but one month post-meeting that the NASA boys arrived (up and leaving their jobs) and "joining" the Sanswire efforts on the S-1. How noble.
Of course, their subsequent alternations to Vern's 90ft
dural aluminum, doped darcon kite, transformed the
standard rigid zep. design to.......one based on modern computer modeling done by a respected group in...Stuttgart.
[Would like to tell Lutz/Wagner that it looks like a pregnant minnow.]
What a coincidence. To do this though, they added 95ft
(to 90!), carbon fiber (where possible), tedlar, etc.
With all this work pretty much completed by April. Truly an amazing feat.
Of course, investors weren't happy......they wanted Darcon.
It was at this point, the S-1
-----------------------------------------------------------
Bob,
you ask, what's the glue, what's the point of all this?
I'm saying look to the Binding to know the Glue. The same kind of secret tie Sanswire obviously commited to with Tao back in late 2005 and now has been revealed, is of the same kind of hidden bond the US gov't formed loosely with Globetel back in early 2005.
You can see the same give-and-take going on, just not the paper. This though will reveal itself more fully with US contracts for Sanswire.
On Tao & Sanswire/ A rewind
On the question of why Tao would even partner with Globetel, perhaps all that is needed for clearer understanding is a walk back. Cathartic at the very least, and maybe a bit more, so down memory lane we go.....
Starting with Prof. Kroplin, a member of the board of directors of Cargolifter AG, a private company focused on commericialization of a heavy-lifter rigid airship.
----------------------------------------------------
1996 -Cargolighter turns on the lights to development of a lighter-than-air truck and jumpstart a revolutionary industry.
[It's a flawed concept, with too large a craft envisioned and requiring too large an infrastructure for support with funds available. They just don't know that yet. (hint, hint, think this is one reason Kroplin's stratospheric solution is the airchain vs conventional rigid high-climber airship..pete)]
1999 Prof. Kroplin wins a major European scientific award for his work, not on heavy lifters, but the AirChain. Kroplin lauded by German science community and press.
2000 Cargolifter goes public. Heavy Press. Share ownership dominated by small investors.
2002 Cargolifter files for insolvency after building giant hangar and two prototypes. One of which crashes. Bummer.
Company in spotlight with 300 million euro fund unaccounted.
2003 Hangar/airship/equipment sold...
2004 Hangar becomes an indoor tropical paradise theme park
--------------------------------------------------------
Brief intermission with a question. What do you suppose the chances are, at this moment in time, of our respected Dr. Kroplin acquiring European funding for this next project: the Airchain?
intermission over: focus on Sanswire
-------------------------------------------------------
2004 (mid) Sanswire is acquired by Globetel. What exactly is purchased seems to revolve around Vern Kroenig and his Stratellite designs, but most importantly (as Vern himself states), a very unique gas management system.
2004 (fall) Sanswire division of Globetel starts construction of S-1
2005 (winter) Sanswire holds summit with various US departments & industry to discuss commerce, global and military uses for the stratellite.
2005 (fall-Oct.) Sanswire partners with Tao & Kroplin to help design airships. Stated that they are Strategic Partners.
2006(fall-Nov.) 25 VIPs, U.S. Government guests representing, among others, the U.S. Air Force, Department of Homeland Security, NASA, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, FEMA, and other distinguished invitees come to plant 42 to view airships "designated" SkyDragons.
------------------------------------------------------------
end
------------------------------------------------------------
Folks, are we missing something here, or what? In Oct. 2005 Kroplin is hired as designer, and one month later Sanswire is peddling his wares in front of 25 VIPS of US gov't and industry. How much you want to bet it was the same interested bunch as on January 2005?
What changed hands here between these two companies?
If Kroplin was just our designer then were those two Airchains exhibited Sanswire's (inspired by Tao), or in the future, to be "our" (Sanswire's) bought concepts? (yep) And where in Europe was Prof. K going to get the jumpstart his products needed at this time? After the Cargolifter debacle!?!
Personally belief is that Prof. K, exchanged something for "entree" back then, and that same "entree" is visiting Germany right now.
Again, the timing is exquisite. US gov't shows up in Stuttgart,
AFTER Sanswire/Tao make the official pact. Folks. It's how the game is played.
All in my opinion of course.
pete.
THE IDOL........................
For laughs and giggles only and please no investment decisions based on this a recounted personal journey of a telespiritual nature -courtesy of Globetel.
There comes a point when one first and fully believes, that they are on the proverbial right path. Though the distance may be uncertain, the road wide or narrow, this singular way must be true...right?
That personal moment: discovery of a company called Sanswire with a message of hope on high for the masses without phones:
"Get thee DECT and forsaketh the WIRE!"
MY god (little "g" figurative) became a whale-shaped 245ft stratospheric telecommunic wonder, wobbling happily away on the dashboard mind. Daily affirmation arrived from a torn-away book of the Telespheric Bible (King Vern v. ) tucked in workpants pocket. REVELATIONS was Economist Magazine, December 2005 article on Stratellite. This purest expression of Tim Huff's prophetic vision of the whale to come, remade telecom terra firma into IP heaven.
Yes, i preached it.
Then things changed. Globetel tossed the KV version and lo, the New American Standard Addition ( NASA) made scripture go squiggy. Did a typo cause the whale to grow in size, a whopping 600+ft and larger?
What altered the shape? And the Price! Where were the Stratodyne days of 3 million dollar Stratellites. Now it's
25-30 MILLION (in capital letters no less), and the whale replaced by some giant golden buddha whose smile was not so reassuring. This was not going to easily fit on my dashboard....
Yet for all that was altered, there was still some faith, i was persuaded that problems our stratospheric buddha would face, could be deflected with a smiling:
"Build it Bigger!!".
*Design issues....no problem.
*Turbulence issues....no problem.
* Insufficient Solar Collection....no problem.
*Payload power demands....no problem.
But bigger was the problem. For if the ship grew in dimension, the materials needed, components' sizes, manpower & contruction time, all expanded exponentially.
Sadly, cost was the only thing flying at Sanswire, for neither the S-1 or S-2A saw a public unthethering.
Stratelliterally overshadowing everything though was Risk. Millions spent on an airship, could easily be lost in a single untethered flight. For a large defense firm this would simply sound like the roar of a furnace well fed on gov't funds, but for a Globetel a "click"ed lightswitch.
....More later maybe
pete
nilremerlin, very cool "sounding"..
Glad you passed that along to they company.
Here's another to check out. Solid state capacitor as a battery.....no heavy battery, no phase change in energy.
Wild.
http://www.examiner.com/x-325-Global-Warming-Examiner~y2008m6d24-EEStor-Advanced-Capacitor-Best-Use-In-A-Hybrid-Car
Hey Sin, nice info on NanoS.....
Yes, Nanosolar is a helluva of company! lol.
The same copper indium gallium diselenide "ink" they use has been been shown to produce 19.9% efficiency in the lab. This is comparable to solar panels 100's x thicker sold today. Wild.
It's such an incredible time we live in. Feeling blessed to
see such technological events on the cusp of changing our world -like a peek at the future.
Such is the reason i've bought my ticket in the Strat. Maybe you too. Because it may well prove out to be the Helluva a of company wish for.
Why? (all below imo)
Some History
Much like Mide, personally bit into the company with the coming of the Stratellite on tenative Sanswire acq. news.
Prior to the purchase of Strat technology, Timothy Huff's had commited Globetel to the Super Hub concept, or the bundling together of IP, internet, finance, etc. under one roof. At that time no mention was made of Stratospheric telecom.
Personally, the Superhub seemed to run counter to the IP which Globetel was selling. Packet IP signals were moved all over the map, routing themselves individually to finally come together as a whole -one message to the receiver.
Network IP, to me seemed all about decentralization...or the complete opposite of the SuperHub Concept. But, SuperHubs were the cornerstone to the multi divisions which Huff went on to developed and which subsequently collasped.
It was not until well after Sanswire was acquired and all divisions well under way, that it became clear that the SuperHub was the STRATELLITE.
Timothy Huff from the early planning stages had envisioned a future built around the "high ground" of telecom -centralized hubs of telecommunications (IP), internet, finance, surveillance, monitoring, etc..
Centralized because they had to be in performing a multitude of intertwined tasks (from telecom to surveillance)and with a payload capacity in the thousands of pounds to handle all the bandwidth (++other equipment) from one particular point.
Even the area it could survey (size of TEXAS) seemed to assure us that the Stratellite was not only going to be a SuperHub but also SUPERSIZED. 245Ft grew to 600+ft of pure technological wonder.....and we as investors ate it up.
But there, in it's Goliathian proportions, lay it's undoing.
More tomorrow.
nite, Sin
Mide & Siriuslyricher......
Mide, To my knowledge, this event is a first for an airship.
Milestone. Can't thank you enough for that. Also, appreciate the concern for the guys in uniform.
Go Dr. K.
Siriuslyricher,
Advancements in thin film tech. are happening at a rate that is astonishing. The best part is, to build a fabrication unit and have it up and running is...9 months (2-3yrs for panel).
Major tech. players are now tossing their respective hats into the ring, IBM being the lastest. They partnered with a Jap Thin Film company and will be licensing their processes to manufacturers in 2010.
But the real driver in the industry is not a Household name.
Nanosolar without question has put the onus on all comers to thin film. Right now, they are touting 100 ft. per minute production of thin film sheeting, placing solar collecting "sauce" onto a backing material using a process similar to a PC printer.
http://earth2tech.com/2008/06/18/nanosolar-prints-thin-film-solar-at-100-feet-per-minute/
http://venturebeat.com/2008/06/18/nanosolar-blows-a-raspberry-at-other-solar-cigs-startups/
Nanosolar is also touting that they can produce upto 14% efficiencies NOW with their product. This is a big claim when others are at 8-12% and shooting for 15% within 2 years.
As far as patents....maybe for application of thin film to hull. This is all new stuff, so maybe the goop or methods used (or both) to attach which could endure long periods in the stratosphere.
Just guessing. As my brother knows, to me the PTO is indecipherable.
Hope this helps.
pete
LOL..As you insist Cole.
You ask:
"Do you have any more current info than this?"
Last post tonight is reserved just for you:
2008
http://www.tropical-islands.de/en.html
Dec. 2007-April. 2008
http://www.oobject.com/giant-airship-hangars/indoor-beach-in-german-airship-hangar/1549/
Paradise does not come cheaply. nite.
Mide sorry for the tardy reply...
Right after the hasty post to you, had to take off.
Brother-in-law, who had been visiting these past few weeks, was headed back to Iraq. The drive to LAX, while light hearted, was a bummer. Guy's in the middle of his 4th tour.
This latest is for 15-16 months (can't exactly remember).
Pray for these guys.
As for the info on the SkyDragon, am always glad to get the "chatter" you're picking-up from sources. And totally believe it. As far as filling contracts....3 days was my tip-off. Wine, dine, etc. etc.
The last time Sanswire had mentioned "inviting US departments" to one of their shindigs, it lasted a morning.
They had a tent set-up, for what, i don't know, but saw the lucky bastards, just not the ships (working time limited observation time).
As far as why they call it a Stratellite. Well, that distinction was also bestowed on the S-1, and the S-2A.
The name says 64,000k, but not sure you'd even take a stab at those two crafts ever having reached such a height and returned to talk about it.
Further, not playing devils advocate, but by your wording
-"going up and coming down" is not hard (JAXA and Hi-Sentinnel people both did it with airships.) They just had to induce a rrrrip in the craft to bring it down.
But knowing what you meant, a controlled descent, is great news. This though does not address duration.
Because if we can't stay, it won't pay, and that is where my gut says higher efficiencies in thin film solar cells (on the order of 14%) are causing us to write about 2010.
Not that i believe the date, but just an added extension in time of vague duration. +++More energy collection at the very least gives a very tech. edgy craft a needed margin of safety, or maybe something a little more essential.
Again, as personally stated earlier today, am leaning on a 3 day prebooking junket based on near-term availability of components, and not necessarily announced (a la the fiascos of Collumbia/Peru) if contractionally (word?) successful.
Thanks for the intel.
pete
lol cygnus, even i know where the money went...
Into an extremely large hangar, which after Cargolifter went BK, was converted into a tropical resort, complete with waves, sand, surf, and beautiful palms...
Hey, "paradise" ain't cheap in Germany i guess...lol
Skunkxstox...maybe Kroplin explains better
Skunkxstox thanks for the response, am always glad to share and discuss what is going on with our company so as to gain a greater understanding. In that vein, you wrote:
-----------------------------------------
"I see the Air Chain vs rigid airship approach a little differently however when it comes to the relative drag of each.
Total drag is not as much a function of the cross section of a body as it is of the total surface area and the nature of the airflow over it. For example, a round teardrop-shaped object can have several times less drag than a spherical object of smaller diameter because a sphere is a much higher-drag shape. That's why footballs look like water melons. The key is to not disturb the boundary layer which in turn maintains attached airflow which is needed for low drag. The shape of the Air Chain cells is not conducive to low drag IMO, even though it has a slimmer profile."
---------------------------------------------
Sure would agree with your description as one would relate a single ball to a slick teardrop-shaped airship. Airship would win the drag/volume contest.
Problem with this example is that it does not apply to the airchain, which is comprised of a narrow conical front and a series of cones designed and aligned to improve drag/volume through it's length and further, actually reduce a major source of drag not mentioned in the example you've provided: the tail.
A tail is especially large for a teardrop shaped airship.
Refering back to the aspect ratio of the respective crafts. Longer (more volume) and leaner (airchain) airship beats out wider/shorter traditional airship in the critical Drag to Volume ratio.
But Kroplin explains it best here. And, yes weight is a problem, especially as we read how the traditional airship approach to over-building to compensate for design deficiencies.
http://books.google.com/books?id=k9ifqUt5CvIC&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=airworm+airship&source=web&ots=O6MCSCwUE8&sig=OIEYm24hP0h-eXX5l9Kv3RusjmE#PPA55,M1
Here is an excerpt from the above Kroplin work:
"It follows that the normal blimp design used for High Altitude Platforms leads to an unfavourable scaling and an increasingly large part of dead mass. This can be compensated by using stronger materials and all the problems associated therewith, or it can be overcome by an improved design.
Structurally seen, the most lightweight blimp should be a cluster of spheres made from the thinnest possible material arranged in a spherical cloud in order to minimize the Munk load and the empannage mass.
But what about the drag? Drag results fromt the airship body itself and from the empennage. The lowest drag per volume for the single body is achieved with an aspect ratio of nearly six. If the empennage (which can be relatively smaller for
slender airships) is also taken into consideration this shifts to around eight. An aspect ratio within this range cannot be achieved with a conventional blimp design since it would lead to a very high differential pressure and Munk Loads.
This contradiction cannot be solved with a convential blimp design. A lightweight airship has to be made of a number of spheres, a low drag airship has to be elongated with an aspect ratio in the range of eight.
7.1 The Airworm concept and its advantages:
The Airworm concept solves the problem of slenderness versus low differential pressure and combines the advantages of both by creating a chain of spheres (or almost spheres) and stablizing each one individually. This is the most lightweight structure possible.
Aerodynamically the overall shape corresponds to a slender elongated airship with low drag.
Moreover, if every segment is stablized in itself, a central empennage at the tail is no longer necessary, neither is one needed for every single segment. "
------------------
Kroplin goes on to write that all the above was proved out through numerous trials with the segmented airships. -Pete
Skunkxstox, thanks for your comments. Am always glad to respond.
pete
Mide, thanks for all your efforts also...
Though did not spell it out as clearly as would have liked,
First-to-market would have to favor the long-and-lean look.
But, this does not mean STRAXX is much delayed. Thin film solar efficiencies are advancing very fast. In the lab today 19% has been done. It's simply a question of how quick this can be translated to commercial output. My guess is sometime in 2010. Thus, the date given as our retail date.
What this does for Sanswire-Tao is delay STRAXX trials. You can't send a large craft ($$$$$) up with under-performing cells, but you can trial lean crafts ($) all day with the same material.
Also, we are redundantly cheap. Not the STRAXX.
:)
Hey Sinful, thanks and back at ya.....
Know you have a personal take-away from current events. Would like to read it. Here's a stab at one.
Like some here believe, for long duration stratospheric it's all about the Air Chain/SkyDragon/Stratellite and it shows. Everything will take a back seat (think S2-A) to it , until such time that thin film solar cell efficiencies surpass a tipping point where the size of the craft really does matter (in a positive way -think megasurplus solar collector). Or maybe the client needs to haul something heavy for a shorter duration at much lower altitude (payload is not a strong point of the Skydragon), so we haul out the
"orginal stratellite".
Looked at another way, the added drag of a larger airship
(S-2A versus say the long-thin profile of an Air Chain) with it's accompanying increased expenditure of energy on location, is currently viewed (by us imo) as prohibitive in the stratosphere.
Also, that the segmented craft is way-cheaper to produce than a conventional airship doesn't hurt either. It's viewed as redundant-friendly compared to the standard airship.
This is important.
Kroplin believes bigger is bad and lean is mean at 64000 ft. so rigid airship is out and Airchain is in. Which we should take comfort in (if this fact bears out), because our main competitor at that altitude is definitely taking the "bigger" approach. This would be STRATXX.
So, who will fill the first orders, us or them? Answer probably is: He who needs less electric power to maintain position, all other considerations being equal. Cost & Redundancy a plus.
Thus, our current emphasis on the Air Chain.
So, what's up with the 2010 date?
Key word is "commercial" orders. Military gets the good stuff first, before the little guys. Also, it all goes back to thin film solar as the rate determining step here.
By mid-point of next year (2009) fabrication of around 14% eff. thin film should be up and running....that is compared to the "around 10%" today.
Am viewing this week's meeting with the US group as a
prebooking of orders (submit to budget), all dependent on Oct. performance and availability of solar materials next year. Either the craft works and gains the extra margin of operational performance/safety with better solar in 2009 or it's over.....I betting we'll be ok...
:)
Stratospheric flight in October
From the Sanswire-Tao Benefits page:
http://www.sanswire.com/sanswire-tao-benefit.htm
The strategic advantages for both companies.
Each group enters the relationship with synergistic, yet very distinct core competencies. Sanswire's business development, its inroads into the U.S. Government review process as well as inroads into overseas markets and other marketing resources complement TAO's vast airship product R&D prowess -- creating a truly dynamic environment for the advancement of airship technologies.
The Sanswire/TAO efforts are centered in Stuttgart, taking advantage of the collective resources one of the world's best technology hubs at the University of Stuttgart. Their vast resources of aerospace testing facilities including wind tunnels, environmental test chambers, structural testing devices, computer aided design and a legion of aerospace and physics professionals along with their more than 10 years of solar powered airship experience make TAO one of the world's leader in solar airship design and development. Sanswire/TAO is energized by the innovation and diligence of Stuttgart's higher education atmosphere, and by one of the community's foremost aviation experts, Dr. Bernd Kröplin.
--------------------------------------
Some of the advantages the team can boast:
Multiple Airship Platforms - Ranging from short range low altitude platforms to Stratospheric solutions.
Access to Resources - Through contractual relationships with world-renowned universities, including their hometown University of Stuttgart.
Research and Development - More than a decade of knowledge and experience resulting from significant data gathered from vital airship testing.
Proprietary Systems - Custom developed systems from the design and modeling of airships to specialized flight control systems.
Intellectual Property - Patented designs and concepts providing worldwide protection.
Constructed Airships - Several platforms ready for demonstrations including a Stratospheric airship test planned in October.
Testing Facilities - Including aerospace laboratories, assembly and storage hangars, wind tunnels, certified launch and flight facilities, and certified manufacturing and production facilities.
---------------------------
Working with TAO immediately started delivering benefits to GlobeTel and its Sanswire subsidiary. TAO's technical resources relieved Sanswire's expensive California-based operations, enabling us to concentrate on our sales and marketing resources. The result is a combined team able to help customers refine their mission requirements using a larger selection of products.
Bob...yes, just found the laser model info
Well, this is a definite twist to what we were shown earlier.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-087-DFRC.html
Am no engineer, but as to this method's usefulness for a Strat, am optimistic that given enough time, money, and inclination, it could well work. Weather permitting...
It's just that unfortunately, Sanswire/Tao appears short of all three.
It's kinda like my personal desire for EAP to be a part of the SkyDragon, which obviously falls into that time, money, desire scenario, also. Oh well.
Am really hoping that Tao has been sandbagging-it all along....
best to you Bob,
pete
Bob, glad to see this but for airships?
Professor Faiman's work is very cool, using an inexpensive concave mirror to concentrate light on the much smaller sized solar cell and producing incredible efficiency ratings in the process.
That said, can't see any immediate practical application of this principle to powering an airship.
Nanosolars work seems right up our alley, but could not find any reference to their current efficiency. They did state that 60% was feasible in the future, but have read the same with other thin film manu's.
If you want to read a specific thin film breakthrough with a super 25% eff. (that beats Nanosolars current offering as stated in the piece), read this:
http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1544/83/
So much happening, am hoping that we can see all this energy collection translated into a successful stratospheric launch for Sanswire/Tao at some point.......soon.
Baghdad & Rwehapi....an answer, maybe.
The Rate Determining Step
Baghdad wrote on the Skydragon & Stratospheric trials:
"The amount of work they have put into this is amazing, you would think an attempt would have happened by now."
This is a good distillation of all the issues central to Sanswire/Tao airship development to date.
Oh, they can be built alright (even stacked like cordwood in a shed like that one pic of Airchains in the design paper Rwehapi linked.), but apparently not ready for the Stratosphere.
Your point is well taken also Rwehapi, questioning whether the coming Stuttgart exhibit is another "test" to 8,000ft or a shot at the title...64,000 big ones and commercial validation..... or perhaps even failure, gasp!
Let's ask a question...Any of you seen pictures of solar cell material on-top any Skydragons/Airchains or S2A's. Lotte?
How about a-top the competition, the STRATXX? Or the High Sentinnel (sp?) which did attain Stratospheric levels and motor about only to be programmed to open a seam and leak down from the sky -much like the Jap version did over the Sea of Japan back in 2005(? date going on memory).
The key perhaps to all these delays, to building but not testing at target altitude, may in fact boil down to energy collection.
If thin-film efficiencies are not able to capture enough energy, then placing an airship at 64,000 ft is really just "an experiment" at the moment and not representative of a commericial product -much like the Jap's or Hi-Sentinnel have already done.
In chemistry, this is called the Rate Determining Step. It's the slowest step in a chemical process that holds everything up and drags the thing out. Much like what we are seeing here with our airships. That's my hunch anyway.
See, commercial thin-film solar cells have around a 10% or so efficiency rate, while the standard silicon ones can do 20%
(Airships use thin-film).
That's a big difference, especially for a craft that needs every kilowatt of power just to stay in one place let alone fire-up the payload. And it was not till really recently (this April i believe...Coasti don't hold me to this date too tightly....lol. ) that published lab stated the ability to produce at 19% efficiency with thin-film stuff. That is obviously remarkable. Almost a doubling of current commercial grade stuff.
So, has this whole process since 2005 (when testing was supposedly to bring us up close to the Stratosphere with the S-1) been a bit of "sleight of hand" on the part of management when it comes to us investors? Maybe.
Hope this helps,
pete
rwehapi2003..glad you asked!
B. Kroplin is into many things besides airships, smart materials or EAP (electoactive polymers)would be one such area of expertise.
You and i have talked about this before, but for anybody else accidently stumbling on this post, the applicaton of EAP for airships would primarily be for propulsion and/or hydraulic replacement.
A very minor electrical current is applied to a segment/or liquid form of this material -causing it to either contract or expand in length. Thus, objects can be pulled or pushed -like a rudder, or in the case where the EAP is laminated onto the surface of a flexible object, that object can be contorted at will (like a fish swimming through water or tentacles made to pulsate).
The beauty of EAP is twofold: It takes very little electricity to produce the desired mechanical energy, and it can be rapidly sequenced to mimic natural movement.
The bad part is that the EAP material is subject to fatique causing it to breakdown.
Rwehapi, we both suspect that the Airchain/Skyworm is a natural for this application because it's segmented. The craft is designed to bend.
We have both seen the fish-shaped airship (believe it to be Berlin University's) with the EAP laminate running along both sides. An electrical current can thus cause the blimp body to flex vigorously to simulate swimming to propel itself through the air.
The problem with this is that the EAP material must fight to flex a jointless airship body. Excess energy is needed to accomplish this and the motion would seem to invite hull fabric fatigue at the crease points.
This is partly why am guessing that we (in the utube vids) are seeing EMPA's use of appendages for propulsion rather than the body itself.
Kroplin could run a "spine" through the center and flex each segment as needed to simulate swimming motion. Or do as EMPA.
Fins, flippers, tentacles, or cilia, could all be viewed as propulsive EAP "arms" for an airship.
Rwehapi, here's what is known. Kroplin has focused on fatigue of EAP (taught coursework on subject). He writes paper, travels to international conferences lecturing on smart materials, and seems to collaborate extensively with Thomas W. when it involves this subject.
Kroplin is no fool. If EAP can be applied to anything, it would first be applied to the Airchain. More than likely, we would first see a hybrid, where both EAP and electrical motors are in use on a craft.
Have you noticed the recent evolvement in the Airchain/skyworm? It's lost the dangling metal rods under the craft that acted as the motor mounts. Motors are now directly attached to the hull.
Rwehapi, glad always for your interest and conversation. Sometimes am frustrated (know it shows) because am finding such cool material (opinion here obviously...lol) but few seem interested to discuss.
nite, now.
Oh, one last thing. Remember a mention a while ago about a connection between an airship (eap powered) and a sponge?
On a stuttgart U. website, a Kroplin student submitted as his thesis a study of sponge movement as it relates to propulsion
in general....this from an aeronautics department.
Thomas W. also looked into this himself.
weekend viewing...cool airship vids.
The Jellyfish + others
It's been a tought week, so let 's take the edge off with
vids on unique airship designs.
Festo, a Swiss(? going on memory) research company , has a pretty cool collection of contraptions in u-tube format.
Click on the players "Menu" bar to view other sets
(some are actually better than the first one up to bat)
http://www.psfk.com/2008/04/jelly-fish-inspires-airship.html
For what it's worth. These particular Festo works don't appear to be utilizing any of the new adaptive polymers for proplusion, but rather traditional mechanical means to manipulate tentacles.
Sidenote:
Kroplin has a guy with a strong background in EAP, Thomas W.,
in his Aeronautics department and together they submit papers and attend conferences on Adaptive materials....the future imho of airship propulsion.
nite
pete
Justfrank...thanks for your finds/comments
Spot-on in my book.
coasti...lol. nothing jives with gtem!
What i wrote was poking fun at the fact that everything seems amiss at GTEM. It was funny reading what you stated
"doesn't seem to jive".. that by some degree Globetel could come close to approaching clarity.
This is why i mentioned similiar examples (as you did), of what Sanswire has:
As you mentioned: Jones says sanswire tech can't be sold only leased.
As i mentioned: But a Peru PR reads that they are to be building and launching in various countries in S.A.
And again, Kroplin states, " Sanswire = entree and TAO = the airship technology. So, Sanswire has no tech. and Tao builds where it wants?
These are three contrasting views on the same subject. Who's tech is it to play with.
This is why i posted what i did. What Jive! simply meant there was none to begin with.
It is also the reason i search so much on the net for answers.
Hope this helps....
Coasti, Who said jive? what jive...
A past GTEM PR
"The agreement calls for Sanswire to enter into a Joint-Venture Agreement with Orlando, Florida based Dynamic International Networks, Inc. to build and operate Sanswire's high-altitude airships called Stratellites in various South American countries. The Agreement calls for the first Stratellite to be launched over Lima, Peru to provide various wireless services to the Peruvian capital and surrounding areas."
---------------------
Poorly written, accurate, or a lie? Is Tao merger a work around ("U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations") for building down south of the border?
Or is it really just as Kroplin recently stated....his (German) tech.:
"We believe that with GlobeTel's market entrees and the vast knowledge from years of research and development by TAO, in cooperation with the University of Stuttgart, that we have put together a very specialized team with the capabilities to accomplish our high altitude goals," said Dr. Bernd Kroplin, president of TAO-Technologies."
German tech, partially owned by Globetel(hopefully) , being subcontracted down south -don't really have a problem with that.
The Chilean revised website (since removed and replaced by older one) we both saw mentioned a local airship company and Worldwide Aeros with a picture of Sanswire S2A on every single page.
We are ALL muddling through, trying to understand the process.
An accurate judgement, none of us can make, but we certainly are witnesses.
Yes, Kevin, have peeked at those....
They are derivatives of dynamicintnets.com posted on a few msn.finance sites and here:
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=28707566
Dynamic International Networks Inc., am lead to believe from what has been found, has been very business in S. America for some time now.
If, if Sanswire's particular airship functions as billed at 64000ft (this is asking a lot, no question), local construction within participating S.A nations would begin. That's the way it appears to be shaping up.
Local construction, seems to be a common selling point among these nations by Dynamic and personally could not agree more with it. It clearly defines us from the nearest competitor: Stratxx, whose centralized production will occur at the Zeppelin (sp?) facilities in Germany.
Nando....
One quick note to Rwehapi2003, yes that is the name of the Canadian outfit. Thank you and sorry for the late reply.
Nando,
Though i could not find anything tying Peralta's to Luis P., i do appreciate the efforts. The material presented the last couple of days has taken approx. a month to gather and sort. Many leads am sure reside in theis info/gov't missives, but to tell the truth, have not traced everything out. So any effort by yourself and others would definitely aid in all our understand of what is happening with Haps in S. America.
A brief bio on that Luis Pacheco explains his/gov't obvious interest in Haps:
http://telecom.colorado.edu/index.php?load=staff&page=index&op=staff_view&staff_id=80&group_id=6
Luis Pacheco is currently working as Chief of Technological Research at the Regulatory Policy Department at OSIPTEL, the public telecommunications services regulatory agency in Peru. In this position, he is responsible for following up the last advancements in telecommunications technology, new services and convergence aiming at finding suitable applications to fulfill the current lack of telecommunications services in some areas of the population at Peru, and to support the Policy design to facilitate adoption of new technology. His main interest is convergence of telecommunications technologies such as data networking, wireless, and multimedia applications.
He came to Boulder for his MS in Telecommunications as part of the Fulbright Graduate Scholarship program, and had the opportunity to work as TA for the Advanced Telecommunications Lab. Luis also had the opportunity to work as an intern for several local companies including: Level3 Communications, CableLabs and Baseline Wireless. Before coming to Boulder he worked at OSIPTEL as a Technical Analyst, supporting the design of the regulation of broadband and wireless services, and at Motorola of Peru during the deployment of the first CDMA network in Latin America.
Education
Luis holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Telecommunications from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is currently working towards the Engineering Management Degree at the same university as a CAETE student.
Serious, look here.....
If you would like to review the circle of choices available in S. America -through their own eyes, as it relates to the Estratelite or Stratellite particularly in Peru and Ecuador , you need to go here. Besides, you are going to find this stuff anyway based on the new keywords you've gotten to google with.
http://www.osiptel.gob.pe/OsiptelDocs/GCC/NOTICIAS_PUBLICACIONES/PUBLICACIONES/FILES/boltec082007.pdf
This is OSIPTEL's 8th Technology Bulettin. OSIPTEL is Peru's telecom regulator and their report on [new key phrase]
"Plataforma de Gran Altitud " or HAPS. This is the only Gov't pub. that i've found that strings together the published elements involved in HAPS.
[notice pg. 7, this Sanswire animation also found it's way into the revised (but now pulled) chilehaps.cl site you had found Serious1.]
Ecuador also talks about Plataforma de Gran Altitud, as two of their gov't departments have come to a historic agreement in delegating the execution of project "Estratélite".
ecuador
http://www.fuerzaaereaecuatoriana.org/pages/interna.php?IDPAGINA=693&SECCIONPAS=Noticias%20y%20eventos
DIAF y SENACYT suscriben acuerdo de compromiso
Este 27 de febrero la Dirección de Industria Aeronáutica de la Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (DIAF) y la Secretaria Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología suscribieron un convenio donde las dos instituciones coordinarán acciones conjuntas para gestionar recursos tanto financieros, técnicos y humanos para la ejecución del proyecto denominado “Estratélite”.
Este proyecto ayudará al desarrollo aeroespacial del país, se lo conoce como “Plataforma de Gran Altitud de Multipropósitos” que tendrá múltiples beneficios como monitorear el medio ambiente, cambios climáticos, desastres naturales; aplicaciones de telecomunicaciones; vigilancia de fronteras, entre otras aplicaciones.
Por su parte la DIAF se comprometió a presentar el proyecto de acuerdo con los requerimientos establecidos para la SENACYT, para su respectivo estudio, mientras que la Secretaria Nacional analizará y evaluará el Proyecto Estratélite, a más de gestionar los recursos financieros, cuando el caso lo amerite.
poorly translated:
This 27 of February the Directorate of Aeronautics industry of the Ecuadorian Air Force (DIAF) and the National Secretary of Science and Technology came to an agreement where the two institutions will coordinate joint operations to manage resources including financiers, technicians and labor for the execution of project "Estratélite".
This project will help the aerospace development of the country, known as the "Platform Great Altitude Multipurposes"[high alititude airship..pete] that will have manifold benefits like monitoring the weather, climatic changes, natural disasters; applications of telecommunications; monitoring of borders, among other applications. On the other hand the DIAF was committed to present/display the project in agreement with the requirements established for the SENACYT, their respective study, whereas the National Secretary analyzes and evaluates the Estratélite Project, to more managing the financial resources, when the case merits.
bob and howwierd...the best finds today.
Well, bob, i think both you guys have the best finds
today. It may not be the best news..lol, but you're right, am not going to do much sleeping tonight knowing that sanswire.com, globetel.net, and the Stuttgart university airship link all down. Yikes! Am afraid to believe something positive, but hey, we're all grownups here.
Best to us all and thanks again to you and everybody posting contructively (good or bad news alike) today.
pete
No clue? i might goof on a date..but
Anyone savy enough to use google like you must know of a
good translation site or two! Si? Fibber ;^)
But will help you with the key word "Estratelite".
http://emisordigital.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/satelites-ya-no-son-lo-mas-alto-en-telecomunicaciones/
Date is Nov. 13, 2007 though some of the info could refer back aways.
Now, just so am clear here. Am not saying Ecuador is buying Sanswire technology, just that they are going with a HAP.
Whose?
Well, just for laughs and giggles.....
Using google again, bring up a map of S. America and trace your finger down the Pacific coast. From Columbia to Chile.
Weird, that they all are/or have commitments to an Estratelite?
Am coining it the drift wood curtain but hey, the CIA probably already got their own....lol. just kidding about the CIA...;^)
Good nite all.
pete
3531niapoc the gov't link .......
Has run dry, so you will have to use the google cache as before. Thanks.
3531niapoc....thanks..yes
That is probably were the error started. My apologizes to all.
Perhaps you could double check me here also.
Thanks.
pete
Ecuador decides on Estratelites 2-29-2008
http://www.senacyt.gov.ec/?q=node/189
Firma de Carta de Compromiso entre Senacyt y Diaf
Vie, 29/02/2008 - 11:25 — Redacción Senacyt
La Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (SENACYT) y la Dirección de Industria Aeronáutica de la Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (DIAF) coordinarán y articularán acciones conjuntas que permitan destinar o gestionar recursos financieros, humanos y técnicos de las instituciones participantes, en la ejecución del proyecto denominado “Estratélite”.
Por ello, el miércoles 27 de febrero de 2008 firmaron una “Carta de Compromiso”, en la cual la DIAF se compromete a presentar el Proyecto de acuerdo con los requerimientos establecidos por la SENACYT, para su respectivo estudio.
Entre tanto, la SENACYT se compromete a analizar y evaluar el Proyecto Estratélite y, de ser el caso, gestionar los recursos financieros, humanos y técnicos que dicho proyecto amerite para su desarrollo.
En la fotografía aparecen el doctor Edward Jiménez, secretario Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología; el coronel Marco Rubio Cerón, director de la Dirección de Industria Aeronáutica de la Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (DIAF), doctor Melio Sáenz, director General de SENACYT.
Publication date is an error on my part
To all, the publication date that i posted was in error due to the date listed in the upper left corner on the article at the time i "cut to paste it". The article was found a few days after the date shown (mar. 18), so i ass-sumed it to be correct. Unfortunately, i did not think to check any other source. My apologizes. Fortunately, the actual article's info
is valid, and perhaps we can base what was found at the revised but removed chilehaps.cl as a sign that things must have gone well at the presentation in mid. 2006.
I do ask though for somse help verifying the date on this next article, a PR by the gov't of Ecuador.
Coasti, could you verify the date here for me also.
Thanks, and please post what you find.
pete
Ecuador decides on Estratelites 2-29-2008
http://www.senacyt.gov.ec/?q=node/189
Firma de Carta de Compromiso entre Senacyt y Diaf
Vie, 29/02/2008 - 11:25 — Redacción Senacyt
La Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (SENACYT) y la Dirección de Industria Aeronáutica de la Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (DIAF) coordinarán y articularán acciones conjuntas que permitan destinar o gestionar recursos financieros, humanos y técnicos de las instituciones participantes, en la ejecución del proyecto denominado “Estratélite”.
Por ello, el miércoles 27 de febrero de 2008 firmaron una “Carta de Compromiso”, en la cual la DIAF se compromete a presentar el Proyecto de acuerdo con los requerimientos establecidos por la SENACYT, para su respectivo estudio.
Entre tanto, la SENACYT se compromete a analizar y evaluar el Proyecto Estratélite y, de ser el caso, gestionar los recursos financieros, humanos y técnicos que dicho proyecto amerite para su desarrollo.
En la fotografía aparecen el doctor Edward Jiménez, secretario Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología; el coronel Marco Rubio Cerón, director de la Dirección de Industria Aeronáutica de la Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (DIAF), doctor Melio Sáenz, director General de SENACYT.
WD-40 and bill77b....more
WD, yes that video does offer some easter eggs on the Strat design. And what you are commenting on relates directly to bill's question about presentation.
Bill, the presentation to Chile, and to Peru, (and another S.A. Cntry not already listed but suspected on case evidence) was done by a "private company", and not by Sanswire/Globetel itself.
It is part of our business model and one reason why a small company such as Globetel can execute R&D/prototyping/payload development/ marketing/sales/& hopefully one day soon, commercial production.
Sanswire has aggressively sought out partnering solutions to transcend their size issue for the sake of accomplishing a single task: a commercial HAPS or High Altitude Platforms.
Tim Huff sought out Sanswire. Purchase.
Tim sought out similiar tech....complementary tech. maybe something which addressed Sanswire's shortcomings. That's Tao. Partnered, and perhaps 1/2 will be acquired.
Then on the issue of payload, Tim roped-in Uli's Hotzone designed for the Strat. Hotzone purchase followed.
At various stages, other specialty types were brought in.
Marketing/sales was no exception. A Canadian firm (name escapes me) and Dynamic International Networks Inc. partnered with Sanswire to represent us to various gov't & entities.
All of this was done, to compensate for what Sanswire lacked in size and technology.
Most important, these events above were started/or operated during a common time frame. (also notice the intent was to sell the whole package not just produce HAPS...this is key to sellability).
Parallel processing, where Strat construction/ remodeling/ payload development/ & marketing functions were performed
concurrently was critical for not just a small company but an underfunded one. Time truly is money.
Can you imagine the length of time it must take to pitch a strat and get an actual contract & product produced with banked monies from a gov't?
That is one of the reasons Dynamic International Networks Inc. website looks a bit dated. This pitch was begun in January 2005! Trunkmonk's question about how old some of this stuff is, is a reflection not only on how tough development has been for this tech ladened project but also to the length of the sales process, especially with govt's.
Beyond the dense partnering/parallel process which was essential imho to get where we are now (versus a Lockheed), that is presenting to countries now, there is another key element in the sales process that is unique to Sanswire and may very well shorten the product-to-market timeline and again bring in more collaborative help to push through the technology.
We got a hint of it here in the Chilean article.
More later.
Trunk.........
Not sure if your post is directed purely towards myself or others, but some answers are here.
You ask:
How old is some of this info?
That Chilean article was written 3-18-08, so from this end that is extremely current.
The web site by Dynamic international Networks Inc,
http://www.dynamicintnets.com/ obviously dates back to as early as 2005-6. The most recent page found from that site was from last month, so it is active.
You ask:
How much do i think is possibly going the way of Sanswire?
All HAPS business, whether for Straxx or Sanswire (those are the only two showing actual progress that i've found) will come from validation of design.
If the airships can't test properly they can't sell. So, how much business is dependent on the outcome of testing, not on what anyone would postulate.
You Ask:
Why the locals aren't jumping on it?
Locals as in Chilean? See above.
Demand exceeds supply 100% in this business model. The market exists without a provider. As soon as a commercial HAP arrives on the market...buyers are waiting.
You ask:
Significant news?
In my book yes. It's timely without current equivalent, it comfirms Sanswire is viable, in the hunt, has partner(s), and potential buyers are still willing to listen to their pitch. Why?
Trunk, you wrote:
"...please speak up, my current investment decisions need more input."
If you recall, i did "speak up" after your lamenting post. Remember?
pete
ps. For what you ask, what do you give this board in return? Is it not better to give then receive?
rwehapi2003....maybe, or
Dynamic Int'l is just covering their nut. Betting on one or the other technology to succeed and proceeding from there.
Some rambling thoughts on Chile.....
Chile's realization that it's borders and huge coastal exposure are essentially unmonitored is scaring the crap out of the nation.
Witnessing the recent regional border incursion/dust-up with the Columbia military chasing FARC rebels into Ecuador which triggered Venezuela to support the EC. (with tanks on it's border with Columbia), did nothing to qualm Chilean national security.
Add to this inter-country drug/human/arms traffic with interior/coastal rape of resources by unregulated pirateers, and an eye-in-the-sky solution by-way-of satellite and/or complementary devices (HAPS) sounds pretty darn good.
But Satellite acquisition (or sharing) raises issues for local experts (besides costs) because it does not increase domestic jobs or raise technological expertise (autonomy), which is viewed as critical in the nation. And then there is this touch of suspicion that the Satellite industry might be bribing the gov't in exchange for "the business" and we have a recipe for indecision.
What is not contested is the need for comprehensive national surveillance and, And, the use of High Altitude Airships to perhaps augment (maybe even replace reading into the dollar differential between airship/satellite) satellites. Plus, the added bonus of Telecommunications doesn't hurt either.
Away, that's one wag.....
pete
Chile article translation
http://www.edicionesespeciales.elmercurio.com/destacadas/detalle/index.asp?idnoticia=0129062006021X1020008
Translated version:
Possible Chilean purchase Piece of satellite opens to strong questions
Daniel Fajardo C.
The price, its utility, its handling and the organization that its purchase solves are some points that expert in space matter puts in judgment fabric before the public opinion, weeks before which the government makes the final decision.
Chile has not had the best experiences with satellites and, apparently, the last attempt to buy a piece of the European partnership European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) went well directed, until deputy Patricio Hales put the shout in the air.
Yes, because what the country buys is not a satellite, but only one section, denominated "to transponder", which would be operated locally, comprising of the project "Aurora", where Chilean scientists and the Air Force try to detect of more efficient form clandestine activities, like the contraband, the drug traffic, the illegal fishing in the territorial sea or the indiscriminate cutting of natural forests, among others.
The investment will be of 38 million euros (near 26,170 million weights) and estimates that the benefit will reach the 27 million euros (18,600 million weights), something that according to the authorities makes the business profitable.
The final decision will be taken in the middle of July. Really, the famous acquisition of this apparatus does not have been free of controversy. Some think that it is moored political favors with the French government. Others complain which the resources for the purchase correspond to the reserved expenses of copper, since the satellite also will have civil aims.
A series of specialists and experts in the area of the space technology has put the alert voice about the possible purchase, using to Internet like an average one for it.
It is the case of Juan Paulo Ramirez, geographer with a specialization in Remote Perception (images of satellite analysis) and GIS. In addition, with a másters and a doctorate in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln of the United States. Ramirez indicates: "a satellite of ground observation does not exist in Chile capacity scientist-technique to analyze the volume of information that delivery. They exist alternative satelite very many but cheap to obtain data for civilian and military use ". And it ends up commenting in his blog: "the satellites have a life limited of 5 7 years. And later what ". Ignacio Martinez, president of Amsat-CE, foundation without profit aims that have been working for twelve years in the project to design and to construct experimental satellites in the country, comments that the handling of the satellite would have to be into the hands of a civil organization, like in many countries of the world.
"It would be far better to support the carried out existing projects by civilians in Chile and thus to generate companies that develop the necessary advances in this matter so that the country has it's own satelite technology",he comments.
For example, the support to the local construction is what it has allowed to countries like India, Brazil, Argentina and Korea South del to have a high degree of autonomy to create his own satellites and thus to begin to help to other countries in the same task.
Martinez adds in addition who does not exist very good precedents in Chile in this matter: "the satelite experience of the FACh with the Fasat Alpha and Bravo did not mean a technological advance for the country, and the group of Officials and Engineers of Aeronautics that was in England by a pair of years dissolved and the tracking station does not work", remembers the expert.
Another subject by which Ministry of Defense has been questioned, talks about the little participation of the scientific and academic world in the decision of what it is going to do with the transponder. Patricio Hales, in a television program, indicated that possibly the satellite can be a very good purchase, but that the absence of more specialists was strange. "one has said that the satellite will have a dual use, that is to say, that also will be used with civil and scientific aims. If that is thus, it calls the attention to me that the participation of the academic and scientific community is zero at the time of deciding on that purchase ", indicated the deputy.
Few scientists And, apparently, one of the great absentees is the Space Training center of the University of Chile, that from 1959 is one of the authorities as far as space matter. This organization located in Peldehue not only has a vast experience in ground support (pursuit, command control and telemetry) to hundreds of space missions, but also it has the capacity of processing and application of the data type that will catch the satellite that is tried to acquire. On the matter, the president of Amsat-CE shows his surprise before the decision to leave it go to this university organization: "we are speaking of a national being active and related to the most important space agencies of the world.
If in the implementation of the project "Aurora" takes advantage of neither the existing infrastructure in this center nor the experience its experts, exists base to think that a management is not becoming effective and efficient ", it sentences.
In fact, aside from the purchase, the government would have to invest around 7 million dollars to construct in the Eighth Region a complex that will contain the tracking station and the laboratories of processing of the photographies.
On the matter, Martinez becomes the following question: "Why not to use the infrastructure of the Space Training center". As far as holding EADS, that among other things commercialize helicopters NH-90 by means of the Eurocopter company and constructed part of the famous Galileo satellite, its owners they are mainly French and German and in a small proportion Spanish. Also they have the company MBDA that makes the missiles antiship Exocet SM-39, bought recently time by the Chilean Navy, among other acquired products previously.
EADS is owner of a part of Airbus, with LAN Chile like one of their better clients of Latin America. Nevertheless, this partnership strongly has been questioned, because it leaves from his partners are involved in the payment of bribes to French politicians and Taiwanese authorities, to obtain the construction of several frigates in the ' 90. In order to become one better idea of which EADS could offer us, it is enough with visiting his page Web: www.eads.cl.
Alternative or Complement?
While the scientific, military community, the government and the universities discuss the subject, a private company will present/display to the Ministry of Defense in the next weeks a project to implement a technology that consists of equipment similar to the satellites, but with a reach and smaller height, denominated Haps (High Altitude Plataform Station).
These airships are designed by ex- engineers of the NASA in the United States and allow to expand, to increase or to replace present systems of wireless digital communications, among other multiple benefits. Esteem that its cost is at least a 100% minor who a satellite. In Chile, already a pilot implemented itself who is located to 500 meters of height and another one of 21 kilometers is being developed, that it would complement to the satelite technology.
Chile Article: Gov't Sat talks on Sanswire
http://www.edicionesespeciales.elmercurio.com/destacadas/detalle/index.asp?idnoticia=0129062006021X1020008
In this Chilean article on a major decision facing their gov't (whether to purchase into a satellite network or not) the final paragraph describes an alterntive or complementary technology being reviewed by the defense department -a Sanswire based project to produce Domestic Haps is mentioned.
Below is that paragraph that pertains to Sanswire and a translated version.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Possible Chilean Purchase Into Satellite Sharing Opens to Strong Questions [translated]
Daniel Fajardo C.
3-18-08
¿Alternativa o Complemento?
Mientras la comunidad científica, militar, el gobierno y las universidades discuten el tema, una empresa privada presentará al Ministerio de Defensa en las próximas semanas un proyecto para implementar una tecnología que consiste en equipos similares a los satélites, pero con un alcance y altura menor, denominados Haps (High Altitude Plataform Station). Estas aeronaves son diseñadas por ex ingenieros de la NASA en Estados Unidos y permiten expandir, aumentar o reemplazar sistemas actuales de comunicaciones digitales inalámbricas, entre otras múltiples prestaciones. Se estima que su costo es al menos un 100% menor que un satélite. En Chile, ya se implementó un piloto que está ubicado a 500 metros de altura y se está desarrollando otro de 21 kilómetros, que complementaría a la tecnología satelital.
Alternative or Complement?
While the scientific, military community, government and the universities discuss the subject, a private company will present/display to the Ministry of Defense in the next weeks a project to implement a technology that consists of equipment similar to the satellites, but with a reach and smaller height,
denominated Haps (High Altitude Plataform Station).
These airships are designed by ex- engineers of the NASA in the United States and allow to expand, to increase or to replace present systems of wireless digital communications, among other multiple benefits. Estimated to cost much less than the full price of a satellite.
In Chile, already a pilot has been implemented to 500 meters of height and another one of 21 kilometers is being developed, that it would be complementary to the satelite technology.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Personally (opinion), this confirms what we have been reading about at the Chile haps site that Risk_it_us' DD was so helpful in restating...lol.
That is, that Sanswire is involved with others (private party above) to develop (under the direction of gov't defense/scientific entities) homegrown Chilean High Altitude Airships.
Am believing that private party is not Tao, nor Worldwide Aeros
(the airship company shown at the now-removed revised chilehaps.cl site.), but Dynamic international Networks Inc..
http://www.dynamicintnets.com/
This is the company Sanswire partnered with to peddle the Strat to South America back in 2004. In a past PR (2005) they successfully pitched the program to the Gov't of Peru.
Obviously, this invites the question of why is Sanswire still
calling on govt's (and why are those govt's even listening!) if they (Sanswire) have yet to fill orders for Columbia and Peru?
Will save that for another post.
Anyway, will have the whole article posted and babelfish translations next.
This piece is actually very reflective of the critical issues facing all South American countries, though in particular Columbia/Ecuador/Peru/Chile.
pete
Yes, Trunkmonk it is painful.......
Without any news from the company and a constant barrage from our resident short crew, it's sometimes not easy to stay invested here.
Not sure if this helps you but, Sanswire is in the Chilean news. It's good.
This info was recently published, and was not taken from any previous sites posted on ivestorshub. Am refering here to the Chilehaps.cl or haps.cl web pages.
Will write more later......am waiting on a trade or two to complete first.
TEEROY, nice find......
Nickunj Group's Defense product line looks very similar to
Transam Systems (other India distr.), which coincidentally looks kaput. Maybe a connection there....
Solid find on your end. Thanks for the addition, TEE.
pete
Board question.......
A question for any and all here:
-Are there any other publically known distributors of Virtra products besides these listed below?:
--------------------
Afaq Consulting
Aardvark Applications
Ihuseni
Lonexi
Ti Training Corp
Transam Systems
-------------------
Am trying to dig a bit deeper here and would appreciate very much if any other names could be added.
Thanks, and a Good Easter to all.
pete