it's still only a "promise" for the future
Robin, you have now restated this same theme more times than anyone would care to go back and count. There is no news here. We on this board ALL know your position on this company and Tao Technology, and have known this even before you created this thread by mislabeling myself as the 700'+ Strat believer.
Your LONG STATED POSITION position:
Sanswire is poop.
Further, Tao T. by itself has nothing, because if Kroplin did have the next best thing to sliced bread, he would have already partnered with a big gov't defense contractor (like a Boeing among others as you stated) and been nutured along with fairy dust towards a happy predetermined future as the new reining king over the evil satellite industry. Because, you see, the Big Players, don't make mistakes, they have a perfect vision of the future, right?
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An alternate take:
Sanswire rides on Tao's coat tails into a gritty, fuzzy, quirky world of theoritical High Altitude Airship technology, where NOBODY KNOWS THE OUTCOME. Lawerence Livermore lab might state it's doable with the right tech., but still, today, no such craft exists.
Tao Technology has patented & produced several sub-stratos pheric prototypes of a very unique design. But, as all other long endurance statospheric attemptors, Tao waits on certain critical components to further mature to a point where HAA can be commericalized and capitalize on inefficiencies in the satellite industry. Two such components would probably be thin film solar and fuel cells.
Without these elements, Tao is a science experiment, which early into this state, chose to become a strategic partner with Sanswire because Sanswire really liked Tao's tech. and was willing to roll the dice with them as a product rep. and share partner.
So, what are the big military contract players doing in HAA, at this point? The Lockheeds and Boeings, who are heavily invested in the satellite industry are not about to rock the boat on their existing gov't gravy train.
Status Quo is the winning hand for them.
Thus, neither company makes any serious attempt at HAA, with Lockheed even taking gov't monies (at one point funded to 140m)
to produce.....NOTHING. No surprise since they are a leader in the satellite industry. Partnering options w/HAA seedling company? lol. would be the furthest from their minds.
Why rush to produce a product offering lower altitudes at around 1/100 the current cost to siphon off satellite launches?
Stay the course and line extensions all the way, becomes their motto. They are tied to legacy, and that is not about to change.
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Robin, i know you position, you know mine. This threads too long. Have your parting say -it's over.
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