[SatNews] This research firm has a new forecast dealing with stratospheric UAV payloads...
,br /> Research and Markets has added the Stratospheric UAV Payloads - Technology and Market Forecast - 2012-2021 report to their offering. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), flying for months or years above the jet stream, will form a new communication and sensing infrastructure. That will simply be a modern version of roads, canals, telegraphs, railroads, air mail, telephone, satellite, etc.: infrastructures that were all supported with government contracts until commercial markets matured.

This report examines, analyses and predicts the evolution of technologies, markets and outlays for the payloads that will serve aboard extremely enduring or persistent UAVs flying above the jet stream. While flying in the atmosphere, they will behave much like stationary satellites. National security payloads will emphasize sensors such as cameras or signals intelligence receivers plus robust radio relay. Commercial payloads will emphasize very high data rate communications with some sensors like visible light and multi-spectral cameras. According to the report, Near Space UAVs will draw defense orders away from the jet atream (Global Hawk) and High Altitude (Reaper) markets. That opportunity will be open to new vendors with payloads optimized for extreme altitude and extreme endurance. Today's military UAV markets are nearly closed to new entrants — this report will certainly educate readers for any work in this competitive environment.