In a press release yesterday, Google officially announced the acquisition of Titan Aerospace, a company that designs drones or unmanned aircraft that, among other things, will help the American giant provide internet access to remote areas.
Currently under development, Titan Aerospace's drones will be powered by electricity generated from the sun by thousands of photovoltaic panels on their fuselage. The aircraft are designed to fly at an altitude of 20 km, above the clouds, while a portion of the electricity generated during the day will be stored in batteries to keep their engines running at night.
Thus, according to Titan Aerospace officials, the drones will be able to remain in the air for up to five years, at speeds of up to 100 km/h. The goal is for them to circle over a specific area during this time, taking on functions that until now could only be carried out by (more expensive) space satellites.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fRt5X9jlOg
Even before the acquisition by Google, Titan Aerospace mentioned on its website that one such function is telecommunications connections, since the drones will be able to carry telecommunications equipment up to 100 kilograms. This capability, and in particular the provision of internet access, had recently sparked rumors of Titan Aerospace's talks with Facebook, which, through its Internet.org project, wants to connect the remaining 2/3 of the planet's population to the internet.
Google will use drones along with balloons it is developing as part of "Project Loon," creating a flying fleet that can replace internet infrastructure where it does not exist. However, its announcement also mentions other applications for unmanned aircraft, such as environmental studies or monitoring natural disasters.
