MP satellites

[nduffy]

Originally Posted by kato13

Balloons/Solar powered drones carrying comms equipment could be either a stopgap during the initial phases or a long term solution if debris or launch equipment are problematic.

Really good idea. I also see airships being used as relays and temporary solutions. Last time I was in West Texas we saw a tethered airship at an undisclosed DHS facility. I assume they are using it for radio traffic and possibly a surveillance platform. like a balloon it could be used as a stop gap and temporary back up when needed.
I could see a solar powered drone or even a large drone with a small NDB or NTB power supply flying or hovering in an area as a relay/ repeater, when the weather gets bad it finds a safe place to land or returns to base. With a fairly high ceiling you could get a long range out of it. These could go to comm teams or even a recon team or two in an area to help set up comm grids and data links.