A startup building massive, bullet-shaped helium balloons that float in the stratosphere has raised $15 million (¥2.17 billion) from SoftBank as part of an effort to monitor climate data and bring connectivity to hard-to-reach areas.
The company, called Sceye, has built more than 20 of its zeppelin-like airships, stationed at a sprawling 3,865-square-meter warehouse in New Mexico. The vehicles — technically called high-altitude platform stations — are 65.2 meters long, almost the size of a Boeing 747’s wingspan, and are equipped with specialized cameras and radars.
Designed to hover above the earth for months at a time, Sceye’s monitoring stations can capture real-time data on wildfires, flooding and greenhouse gases. They can also provide wireless service to people on the ground during large-scale disasters.
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