What are HAPS and what role will they play in future networks?
The ministry of defence has signed up a design and development contract with a Bengaluru based company to develop a High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) which will be able to conduct surveillance operations and support communications by staying airborne for months at a stretch.
The estimated budget to develop the system is upwards of Rupees
700 crore and it will be part of HAL’s Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) that
seeks to integrated manned airborne platforms with swarm drones and a high
altitude surveillance network.
What are HAPS?
HAPS stands for High Altitude Platform Station, although they
are also sometimes referred to as High Altitude Pseudo Satellites. HAPS carry
telecom payloads and can provide stratosphere based connectivity to devices on
the ground. So far, HAPS have been used largely for temporary coverage, such as
during disaster recovery, but companies working in the space hope to use them
for more enduring and reliable coverage in unconnected areas.
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What are two types of HAPS?
There are two basic types of HAPS: Lighter Than Air (LTA)
HAPS, such as high altitude balloons, that rely on buoyancy to reach and
maintain their height and Heavier Than Air (HTA) HAPS, such as fixed wing
aircraft.
What are some of the telecommunications specific aspects of
HAPS?
A significant amount of HAPS development and testing thus far
has focused on how to enable connectivity. Given that the on-board
communications equipment is being carried by an unmanned, lightweight aircraft
that runs on solar energy, both weight and power consumption need to be
minimized. However, the equipment also needs to be able to operate reliably
with significant vibration and in the harsh, cold stratospheric environment.
In terms of how a HAPS system works, there is a ground
gateway that connects ground base stations and a HAPS. HAPS tests have been
conducted using special access to various frequency bands both below 1 GHz and
in the mid band (1.2 to 3.5 GHz), as well as at higher frequencies (26 GHz and
38 GHz, 70 to 80 GHz).
Also key to the future of HAPS is the continued advancement
of solar panels and battery cells, so that HAPS can fly longer. It is no
exaggeration to say that the advancement of HAPS depends on improving the
performance of battery cells and solar panels. HAPS represents a network with
base stations that operate on solar power alone. The aircraft use solar panels
mounted on top of its wing to generate electricity during the day to turn its
propellers, and stores surplus energy to be used at night. Because the craft
flies above the clouds, it is ensured access to solar power generation. HAPS
will be able to maintain continuous flight of HAPS for about six months.
What does the future of HAPS look like?
In addition to connecting hard to connect places and people,
HAPS Alliance notes that as drones come into more extensive use, and even
electric vertical take off and landing (e-Vtol) vehicles, that can carry people
as HAPS will become more important because network coverage will need to extend
above the ground in ways that terrestrial base stations aren’t built for. It is
safe to say that the HAPS is guaranteed to become vital infrastructure for
humankind, making the stratosphere “the last frontier for humanity.”
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