The next chapter in how we stay connected may not come from deep space. It might just float above our heads in the still, bright air of the stratosphere.
While satellite technology has taken us far, it’s starting to show strain. With global internet usage expected to reach nearly 400 exabytes per month next year, current systems are under pressure.
Congestion, lag, and cost barriers are all part of the challenge. Thousands of satellites are already circling the globe, and tens of thousands more are on the way. That’s a lot of traffic in a place with very few lanes.
So, what’s the alternative?
Imagine solar-powered aircraft that can quietly stay aloft for weeks, serving as airborne relays for data, video, and communications. These are known as high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles — HALE for short — and they’re designed to deliver real-time connectivity, especially in areas where ground-based systems don’t reach and satellites fall short.
At
Swift Engineering
, a Hiro Matsushita Company in San Clemente, we’re developing
HALE UAVs
that fly above commercial air traffic but well below satellites. These platforms can be rapidly launched and redirected depending on need — whether that’s improving broadband access in rural valleys, tracking wildfires in real-time, or giving emergency crews uninterrupted lines of communication when the grid goes down.
Consider how this could affect the fire season across the West. When a wildfire breaks out in the mountains of San Diego County or the forests of Northern California, getting real-time aerial data can mean the difference between holding a line or losing thousands of acres.
Traditional satellite systems may take hours to send usable imagery. Ground-based towers may not have line-of-sight. HALE UAVs, on the other hand, can circle above the smoke for days, capturing thermal imagery, relaying live video, and helping crews adjust on the fly.
As another example, take internet access in rural California. Many agricultural regions in the Central Valley still lack reliable broadband. Deploying fiber isn’t always feasible, and satellite data can be expensive and slow. A solar UAV stationed 60,000 feet above the farmland can fill that gap at a fraction of the infrastructure cost.
These platforms also have value during large public events, from monitoring traffic patterns to providing connectivity in remote festival locations. They’re quiet, persistent, and don’t need a runway. Once launched, they can stay up for days and be brought down for maintenance, refueling, or software updates.
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California has long been the birthplace of aerospace innovation. From the Mercury missions to reusable spaceflight, breakthroughs here have changed the way we live, communicate, and explore. Stratospheric flight might be the next big step, and once again, California companies are helping to shape that future.
HALE UAVs will not necessarily replace satellites, but they offer something different: flexibility, responsiveness, and long dwell times right where we need them. They bridge the middle ground between the sky and space.
In a time when staying connected isn’t optional, that kind of in-between solution might be exactly what we’ve been missing.
Hamed Khalkhali is president of
Swift Engineering
, based in San Clemente. With decades of experience in aerospace design and autonomous systems, he leads the company’s development of solar-powered HALE UAVs built for stratospheric flight.
