According to a media report on Saturday, a high altitude balloon that was launched by Google to provide the internet access in the remote areas of the earth under “Project Loon”, crashed in a Kenya farm.That balloon was a part of a 10-balloon batch that was deployed for testing in Nakuru, Nanyuki, Nyeri, and Marsabit in July 2017.The balloon crashed at Nthambiro in Meru on Friday night.
Resident’s crowded the miraa farm to get a glimpse of the object before police officers took it away. Some residents complained that they suffered from severe headaches after they gathered around the balloon to catch a glimpse.
Igembe South OCPD Jane Nyakeruma said that no injuries or damages were reported from the crash.He also quoted that:
The device from project loon indicates it fell after its expiry period of six months. No one is yet to claim the device.
Earlier this year Google announced that they were “years closer” to deliver the internet access to the remote areas of the earth using high-flying balloons.
Researchers at Google’s Project Loon — part of the company’s X research lab told that Project Loon is a global network of high altitude balloons which ascend like weather balloons until they reach the stratosphere, where they sail about 20km above the earth. The Loon balloons are super pressured which allows them to last longer in the air and not only this the balloons can also coordinate with other balloons as a flock, and they are entirely solar-powered.
Loon balloons act as floating mobile phone towers which could allow the telecommunication companies to extend their services and coverage to the remote areas and provide them with the 4G Internet.Project Loon has also been used to provide emergency mobile network coverage to Puerto Rico following the hurricane Maria disaster and it was first launched in 2012 with the aim of providing internet in remote areas of the world.
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