The ST1 mission reached Japanese airspace on September 1, 2026, operating at an altitude of approximately 16.5 kilometers. During the test, the craft maintained a station-seeking radius as tight as 5 kilometers while integrating with SoftBank Corp.’s core network. This allowed for standard mobile functions, including voice calls, video streaming, and emergency alert messaging, demonstrating a potential alternative to terrestrial infrastructure.
Sceye and SoftBank complete 15,000 km stratospheric test flight
A Sceye High-Altitude Platform System successfully completed a 15,000-kilometer trans-Pacific journey from New Mexico to Japan, spending 13 days in the stratosphere. The mission verified the ability of a "cell tower in the sky" to provide mobile broadband and edge computing services directly to unmodified devices.
Beyond basic connectivity, the flight achieved a technical breakthrough by hosting a server directly on the platform. This onboard processing yielded a 68-millisecond round-trip response time, cutting communication latency by over 40% compared to traditional cloud-based processing. The test confirmed that a single Sceye unit could theoretically provide coverage equivalent to 500 terrestrial base stations. Both companies view this as a critical step toward integrating stratospheric platforms into global 6G and AI-driven communication networks, positioning the technology as a scalable tool for disaster response and rural connectivity.
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