The HAA (High Altitude Airship). As an atmospheric satellite.

Sceye's stratospheric airship.(Interesting Engineering)

The HAA (High Altitude Airship) can act as an atmospheric satellite. High-flying solar-powered airship could operate for over 12 hours. Or, the 12 hours is the time that those airships take to reach. But those tests are prepared to create systems that can operate for years. Those airships can cruise at a very high altitude. And collect information that their operators require. The value of those airships is realized in NATO. 

The airship that flies at a very high altitude can carry sensors, such as radars and cameras, that may help civil and military actors detect drone swarms, aircraft, and other objects, including wildfires. 

Those systems can observe and search for humans and vehicles. For both civil and military purposes. In law enforcement and intelligence work, the airship can use laser microphones. That allows them to hear things from inside the building. 

Many people think that a high-flying airship, which operates at the edge of space, is a good target for missiles. The fact is that those airships can be equipped with similar active protection systems. As tanks. Those systems can shoot bullets or laser beams at incoming missiles. The airship can also use a plasma stealth system. That system can cover the airship using plasma. And that makes those systems very hard to detect. The electric motor’s IR signature is very low. 

Kelluu is Finnish design. (Image: Kelluu corporation)

The airship can also deliver drone swarms to the area where it patrols. Those drones can carry sensors, like microphones, cameras, hydrophones, and sonar systems. Those systems can operate as an acoustic weapon.  As well as. They can also operate as kamikaze drones. Airship can drop torpedoes and underwater drones as well as regular quadcopters and other types of drones. 

The remote control. Or autonomous airship. It can also carry a space rocket to the edge of the atmosphere. The rocket. That has wings could be dropped to glide, and then the rocket ignites its engine. 

There might be many sizes of those atmospheric satellites. Some of them can be rugby-ball size. Some might be torpedo-size, and some of them could be the large-size zeppelins. There is a possibility of connecting the satellite with mylar balloons, filled with hydrogen. Those unmanned systems. Don’t need similar safety standards as manned systems. The air or oxygen. It must only be removed from the balloon. Then, a balloon can raise a satellite that can have the same missions as orbital systems. 

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/new-solar-powered-airship-stays-airborne-for-12-days-at-52000-ft-altitude-in-test

https://kelluu.com/news/kelluu-raises-15mn-series-a-to-build-europes-persistent-aerial-intelligence-layer-and-strengthen-natos-surveillance-capabilities