• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

My TechDecisions

  • Best of Tech Decisions
  • Topics
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Mobility
    • Unified Communications
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Network Security
    • Physical Security
    • Facility
    • Compliance
  • RFP Resources
  • Resources
  • Podcasts
  • Project of the Week
  • About Us
    SEARCH
Latest News

Sceye Tests Automated Ascent and Reaches the Stratosphere Again

March 12, 2022 TechDecisions Staff

ROSWELL, N.M.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#reachforthesceye–Sceye, a material science company and manufacturer of High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS), announced today that it reached the stratosphere again; this time using a new automated ascent software. The HAPS launched at 6:07 AM MST from the company’s New Mexico facility and landed at 8:34 AM MST.

“The automation performed flawlessly and at no point did our control team need to take over and command the system manually,” said Stephanie Luongo, Sceye Chief of Mission Operations, “We let the system do the driving.”

Today’s launch tested a newly developed software capability that increases the reliability of the HAPS during its most critical phases of flight–the launch and ascent. It was the first of a flight test program focused on rapid prototyping of new technologies that include automation and flight safety enhancements.

“With every successful test flight we’re getting closer to providing broadband and earth observation from the stratosphere,” said Sceye CEO and Founder, Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen. “We’re very pleased with the results of this demonstration and will continue to advance flight testing throughout 2022.”

There are 6 test flights planned for 2022, of which 4 are part of Sceye’s R&D test program. The program will determine optimized technologies for sustained flight in the stratosphere, scaling operations and lowering operational costs.

Last October, Sceye was the first to connect a Massive MIMO antenna with 3D beamforming from the stratosphere directly to smartphones on the ground over 140 km distance–a world record in Open RAN. The company also joined a consortium of New Mexico-based telecommunications companies and tribal entities to pilot delivery of universal broadband access to the Navajo Nation.

Sceye has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), EDD, and New Mexico Environment Department on a five-year study to monitor air quality in the State of New Mexico. Sceye’s HAPS will track methane emissions with a sub 1 m resolution, allowing them to determine pollution levels as well as pinpoint individual emitters.

About Sceye

Sceye is a material science company founded in 2014 to unleash the possibilities in the stratosphere by uplifting and connecting all people, and protecting our planet. The company has developed a new generation of stratospheric platforms to provide universal and equitable connectivity, improve climate change monitoring, natural resource stewardship, forest fire monitoring and better detect and contain disasters before they spiral out of control.

Sceye continues the humanitarian work of founder & CEO Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen. As owner and former CEO of the public health companies Vestergaard and LifeStraw, he led innovations in material science that have saved millions of lives. LifeStraw water filters have helped nearly eradicate Guinea worm disease, and PermaNet, bed nets made from innovative fibers that release microscopic doses of insecticide, have helped reduce global malaria deaths by more than half.

Contacts

Anastasia Grinberg

[email protected]

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!

Related Content:

  • Virgin Media O2 Partners with VMware to Complete…
  • SEON Expands Advanced Digital Device Fingerprinting to Counter…
  • Akumina Announces 86% Year-over-Year SaaS Bookings Growth as…
  • Skykit Survey: Sharing Data Dashboards Broadly with Employees…

Latest Downloads

Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces
Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces

Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-fa...

New Camera Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow
New Camera System Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow

Sony's HXC-FZ90 studio camera system combines flexibility and exceptional image quality with entry-level pricing.

Creating Great User Experience and Ultimate Flexibility with Clickshare

Working and collaborating in any office environment today should be meaningful, as workers today go to office for very specific reasons. When desig...

View All Downloads

Would you like your latest project featured on TechDecisions as Project of the Week?

Apply Today!

More from Our Sister Publications

Get the latest news about AV integrators and Security installers from our sister publications:

Commercial IntegratorSecurity Sales

AV-iQ

Footer

TechDecisions

  • Home
  • Welcome to TechDecisions
  • Contact Us
  • Comment Guidelines
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

Free Technology Guides

FREE Downloadable resources from TechDecisions provide timely insight into the issues that IT, A/V, and Security end-users, managers, and decision makers are facing in commercial, corporate, education, institutional, and other vertical markets

View all Guides
TD Project of the Week

Get your latest project featured on TechDecisions Project of the Week. Submit your work once and it will be eligible for all upcoming weeks.

Enter Today!
Emerald Logo
ABOUTCAREERSAUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERSYour Privacy ChoicesTERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY

© 2025 Emerald X, LLC. All rights reserved.