I suspect the military have decided to skiop the prototype and go directly to the real thing, probably on a bigger scale than the company had planned. After all, the prototype would have been mostly for the stationkeeping software rather than the rest of the system. Note the following:
* No need to test whether helium would float the strat to whatever altitude. This is demonstrated at every kid's birthday party when a few helium balloons escape and go up until they disappear.
* No need to test whether telecommunications will work from 65,000 feet. Even apart from the 3-mile high jet helicopter tests in summer of 2004, we already know that communications work fine from 22,500 miles and should work better (and with less lag time) from 13 miles.
* No need to test whether solar film can capture energy or whether batteries can store it.
* No need to test whether the ductfan motors will provide force to move the strat aound within its stationkeeping envelope.
No, the prototype was mainly to reassure potential commercial partners and (for that matter) potential investors. What would have been tested at 45,000 feet is whether the stationkeeping software can do its job in maintaining the strat within 2 degrees of its nominal location. Further, 45,000 feet is actually overtesting because of the harsher winds and denser air at 45,000 feet, Given the straightforward nature of the military, I can see a decision to put one ip there at 65,000 feert and use that as the prototype ti decide whether to order a fleet of them.
You think?
Caradoc
