Welcome to our blog, “What’s the HAPS?”.
We’re excited to create a new space where we can share our mission, what we’ve been working on, technical insights, and what’s next.
At Sceye, we build High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS), or stratospheric platforms, that connect people and protect our planet. Our work spans telecommunications, real-time observation of Earth’s most vital systems, and managing climate disasters.
From the stratosphere, we’re opening up access to a new layer of highly scalable connectivity and observation infrastructure that bridges the gap between terrestrial and space systems. When it comes to providing connectivity, proximity and persistence are critical to enable true direct-to-device broadband in areas where existing infrastructure is not economically viable – especially as we think about the nearly 2.5 billion people around the world that remain unconnected.
Our groundbreaking HAPS are lighter-than-air, heavy lift, and long endurance. Over the last decade we have been developing our unique platform with an iterative process and have completed 25+ successful test flights to date.
A major milestone for Sceye happened in August 2024, where we closed the power loop in the stratosphere while staying over an area of operation. In simple terms, this means we maintained altitude and position in the stratosphere through a full day and night cycle. We used solar power during the day, which charged our batteries to operate at night. When the sun rose the next morning, we were still in the stratosphere over the same area of operation – a milestone that has long been considered the holy grail of aviation. This achievement marked the start of a new chapter for endurance and feasibility in the stratosphere as we prepare for commercialization.
And the “why”? Our goal is to use that vast space between drones and satellites; that’s completely unused, as a force for good. We believe that from this unique vantage point in the stratosphere we can amplify our impact on a scale the planet needs.
We love what we do, and this blog is where we’ll share updates on what’s happening at Sceye, along with expert insights on why the stratosphere is such an exciting new frontier and why HAPS are key to the future of sustainable connectivity and observation.
Welcome, we’re so glad you’re here.
