Enduring Atmospheric Platforms

Document type: Programme thesis

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Author: Rico Chandra

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Date published: 14 November 2025

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Version: 1

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.67475/eaphj9r-pt8j

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Abstract

In 1957, Sputnik marked the beginning of a new kind of infrastructure, one that operated above the Earth. Since then, satellites have transformed the modern world, enabling global communication, positioning, and Earth observation. But space-based infrastructure carries deep limitations: putting new hardware into orbit typically takes five years or more, and once launched, it is immutable and follows a trajectory that cannot easily be changed. The distance to Low Earth Orbit imposes hard physical constraints – on latency, resolution, power, and persistence – that no amount of engineering can fully overcome. 

A new layer of infrastructure, operating persistently within the atmosphere, would overcome these constraints. For an atmospheric alternative to viably integrate with or replace satellites, we need a way to reliably suspend and power communications hardware in the atmosphere.