PRESS RELEASE: ALTAEROS LAUNCHES ST-FLEX: PORTABLE RAPID RESPONSE AERIAL CELL TOWER
Altaeros’ pioneering autonomous tethered aerostats provide wide-area coverage for first responders, rural communities, and remote applications.
OCTOBER 13, 2020: Today, Massachusetts-based aerial platform innovator, Altaeros, announced its new ST-Flex autonomous aerostat. ST-Flex is a portable, rapidly deployable SuperTower™ designed to simplify and accelerate network deployments for industrial IoT, disaster response, rural connectivity, and many other data-intensive applications. With set-up times under one day, the ST-Flex combines rapid response capabilities with the operational and cost efficiency of Altaeros’ best-in-class autonomous aerostats. Altaeros will begin shipping the ST-Flex in early 2021. More information: www.altaeros.com
ST-Flex carries 130+ lbs (60 kg) of electronic payloads up to 1,000 feet (305 m) high, for weeks at a time. Power and fiber optic cables imbedded in the tethers provide robust power and connectivity between the payload and ground equipment. Together, these features provide a level of performance and flexibility unparalleled amongst commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Aerostat Autopilot™, Altaeros’ proprietary aerial robotics control system, eliminates on-site crew for daily operations and ensures the highest level of reliability, making ST-Flex the most cost-effective aerostat solution in its class. With its autonomous capabilities and quick set-up, deploying airborne assets for critical connectivity is a breeze with the ST-Flex.
“There is an immense need for a high capacity, rapidly deployable connectivity solution for hard-to-reach areas and critical situations,” said Altaeros CEO, Ben Glass “The ST-Flex empowers our customers to quickly respond and deliver communications to the communities and businesses that need it most, when they need it most. We’re excited to see the ST-Flex in action as our first international customer takes delivery early next year to enhance their crisis response capabilities.”
- Maximum Flight Altitude: 1000 ft (305 m)
- Helium Top Off Interval: 7+ Days
- Operational Wind Speeds: 63 mph (100 kph)
- Survival Wind Speeds: 93 mph (150 kph)
- Payload Power: 1000 W (Transmitted Through Tether)
- Data Transmission: Optical fiber in tether provides a secure data link to ground
- Redundancy: Three structurally redundant tethers minimize the chance of flyaway
- Payload Mass: Up to 132 lb (60kg)
- Payload Types: Modular payload interface allows for a wide range of payloads, including LTE, 5G, EO/IR Sensors, etc.
- Operating Modes: Fully Autonomous, Remote Control, Local Control
- Off-road and highway towable, set up in less than a day
About Altaeros: Altaeros’ mission is to connect people, machines, and data, no matter where they happen to be located. Founded at MIT in 2010, we are focused on developing and deploying innovative real-world aerial infrastructure solutions to solve the most difficult infrastructure challenges. Altaeros is headquartered in Somerville, MA, and is backed by SoftBank, SPARX Group, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Suhail Bahwan Group, and others.
Learn more at www.altaeros.com
Press Contact:
Elise Gianattasio
617-533-0001