Google’s Project Loon Internet Balloon circles Earth in 22 days

Google’s Project Loon, the effort to bring Internet connectivity to more remote areas using a network of hot air balloons, has racked up an impressive achievement – going around the world in just 22 days. One of the project’s test balloons just managed this, despite estimates from the team that it would take around 33 days for it to make the trek.

Project Loon, unveiled nearly a year ago, is an attempt to use solar-powered balloons to create networks that can send wireless Internet signals to areas that would be hard to reach with wired Internet. The balloons are supposed to form a mesh network 20 kilometers above the ground, with each balloon communicating with its neighbors and ultimately to ground stations connected to Internet providers. Internet signals would be sent to antennas installed on buildings. It is one of Google X Lab's brainchild, which hopes to offer hot air balloon-powered internet connection someday. Until then, the team will continue doing more test flights -- the Ibis-167 is already on its second journey, clocking the project's 311,000th mile -- to ensure the hardiness of their balloons.

Google has said it uses complex algorithms to manage the balloons’ flight patterns, and these tests help the company improve the system.

Google has changed the balloon designs as well. "Earlier balloon designs used just one solar panel pointed up toward the sky, but we learned that two facing diagonally actually allows us to capture more sunlight at latitudes close to the poles," the company said to Arstechnica. "Capturing sunlight more efficiently allows us to collect more power with less weight, and charge our batteries for a longer period of time."

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