01.12.2006 (excerpt)..."Airship partner TechSphere has been approached by leading wireless phone companies to provide a lower altitude communication platform for hurricane disaster relief in the event local community cell towers are damaged following severe weather".
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. 01.12.2006 -- As part of an effort to develop a new generation of high-altitude communications and surveillance platforms, RTI International and its research partners at Unitech, Applied EM, TechSphere Systems International and the International Communications Group plan to begin testing conformal "paint-on" antennas aboard airships at Fort Benning, Ga., in the coming months.
The airships, which "patrol" at an altitude of 60,000 feet, are intended to serve as economical station-keeping communications and/or ground-sensing platforms that will augment both ground-based and more expensive satellite systems. The airships will operate well above commercial air traffic and the jet stream and beyond the range of most ground-to-air missiles.
RTI designed and tested the antennas using its own research and development funds and then teamed up with Applied EM Inc. and UniTech LLC, two companies that are developing related technology under an Air Force Small Business Innovative Research Program. Applied EM specializes in antenna design, development and electromagnetic simulations; UniTech has patented water-based conductive coating called Unishield™ suitable for "paint-on" antenna development.
RTI's other research partners include TechSphere Systems International, a company that worked with 21st Century Airships to develop a new airship concept for achieving the high altitudes required of the system, and the International Communications Group (ICG), a global communications company recognized for its expertise with the Iridium Satellite communications.
High-altitude airships have been proposed as an economical solution for overcoming limitations of ground-based systems and satellites. New airship concepts are being designed to attain record-breaking 60,000- to 70,000-foot altitudes.
Achieving 60,000-foot altitudes with a useful communications or ground-sensing payload required significant weight reduction. To solve this problem, RTI and its partners have developed "paint-on" conformal antenna technology and will demonstrate designs for a global positioning system (GPS) and Iridium Satellite communications.
The experiment will provide the first opportunity to test and evaluate the electrical, electromagnetic and mechanical properties of the "paint-on" antenna technology.
A successful flight experiment will open opportunities for other proposed applications for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. Important applications, in addition to communications, include persistent surveillance of the nation's coastal waters, land borders, urban areas and critical infrastructure.
The Fort Benning flight also will include a test of airships' potential scientific applications. Through its long-standing relationship with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), RTI has arranged for NASA to demonstrate the potential of a lower-cost alternative to satellite remote sensing by installing a GPS Reflectance Remote Sensing Experiment to conduct soil moisture measurements during the flight.
Airship partner TechSphere has been approached by leading wireless phone companies to provide a lower altitude communication platform for hurricane disaster relief in the event local community cell towers are damaged following severe weather.
About Applied EM
Applied EM, located in Langley Research Park, combines efforts of a team of highly qualified engineers with experience in electromagnetics research and development, specifically computational electromagnetics, antenna design and development for commercial applications. Applied EM is committed to innovation and excellence in the field of electromagnetics.
About Unitech
Unitech, LLC was established in 1997, with locations in Wake Forest, N.C. and Hampton, Va. Unitech brings to market Unishield, a one-of-a-kind coating that has extensive applications in the electronic, communications, security, and defense industries. Unitech also markets RP46, a polyimide resin licensed from NASA that is capable of withstanding continuous temperatures of 700 F.
About TechSphere Systems International
Techsphere Systems International, LLC (TSI), a Georgia limited liability corporation, is the worldwide provider of spherical airship platforms for use in commercial, research and government applications. TSI manufactures, owns, operates, leases and sells these platforms.
About International Communications Group
International Communications Group, Inc. (ICG) of Newport News, Va. is a recognized leader in the development of communications integration, automation and management systems. ICG's devices provide facilities and features that replicate the operation of a contemporary telephone companies' Central Office facilities, in wireless or mobile communications applications. Markets for ICG products are the Aerospace, Military, and Maritime industries.
About 21st Century Airships
Located in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, 21st Century Airships Inc. was founded in 1988 as a research and development company for lighter-than-air crafts. The company's primary objective is to improve traditional airship technology and develop safe, modern, cost-effective airships for a wide variety of applications.
RTI News Media Contacts
news@rti.org
Lisa Bistreich: 919-316-3596
Patrick Gibbons: 919-541-6136
PO Box 12194
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194
