ARIA backs projects to solve connectivity from stratosphere
September 15, 2026



The Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) is backing 18 new engineering projects with £70 million (€81.8m) over 3.5 years to develop aircraft capable of operating reliably and cost-effectively in the stratosphere, as part of its Enduring Atmospheric Platforms programme.

The programme’s success will be defined by whether the aircraft can continuously supply 300W of power to a communications payload for a full week, while holding station above the UK. If achieved, this would mark a significant advance in the ability to operate aircraft persistently in the stratosphere. It would also establish a new layer of infrastructure between Earth and space, enabling connectivity for underserved regions of the UK and for billions worldwide.


Rico Chandra, Programme Director for Enduring Atmospheric Platforms at ARIA, commented: “This research expands the UK’s leadership in high-altitude platforms to become the place where this industry is designed, built, and scaled. Getting there means backing bold ideas, from fixed-wing solar aircraft to designs nobody predicted, including aircraft that fly on spinning wings instead of propellers. Never before have rotorcraft flown the stratosphere. We have teams pioneering just that, which will involve setting new altitude records. This programme gives the UK three independent shots at world-changing breakthroughs.”

David Lewis, incoming Chief Science and Technology Officer at ARIA (who served as Science and Technology Lead on the Enduring Atmospheric Platforms programme) said: “I hope that this becomes a ubiquitous infrastructure that really looked more towards connecting humanity across the whole board and not just really limited to those who have the means, the power, or the infrastructure themselves.”

The programme aims to establish aircraft, known as HAPS (High Altitude Pseudo-Satellites), as a persistent new layer of infrastructure sitting between terrestrial networks and satellites. Reliable connectivity is a critical enabler for the projected tens of trillions in annual economic potential of AI, yet it remains out of reach for billions of people, and over two billion remain offline entirely. Satellites have been the default way to extend that reach, but their distance and orbits impose physical limits on what they can deliver.

Martin Saltau, co-founder and co-CEO of Space Solar, one of the 18 funded teams, stated: “If we succeed, it’ll enable new markets in a new class of telecoms infrastructure. At the moment in rural areas, it’s really tricky to get the sort of high bandwidth connectivity you need for businesses. So, it’ll allow businesses the flexibility to relocate where they best can recruit. I think it’ll be a real enabler for economic growth.”

Among the funded teams is John Mooney at Menapia, a Leeds-based aerospace startup, whose CAROUSEL project is designing a constellation of high-altitude multirotor aircraft, together with the systems required for routine operations at altitudes up to 20 km, to form a persistent “canopy” over the UK.

Dr John Mooney, CEO/CTO at Menapia, said: “Getting into the stratosphere, they don’t have a lot of endurance when they’re up there, but that problem can be solved through this fleet level rotation mechanism. It’s great to have the example of NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter here, that operated at an Earth equivalent altitude of about 25 kilometres, and we’re hoping to operate around 15 kilometres as our target. From that sense, the physics is achievable.”

Andy Cheadle at VFP Aerospace, another UK aerospace startup, takes a different approach with Enduring Drone Networks, aiming for “perpetual presence” through a relay of six-axis drones, mass-produced for around £50,000 each and operated for under £10 an hour, that cycle in and out of the sky from ground stations, ensuring continuous coverage.

The 18 projects that ARIA is funding are spread across the UK – including leading universities, aerospace SMEs, and startups, with teams in Aberdeen, Durham, Sheffield, York, London, Bath, and more – while a further two teams, from the US and Australia, will be building and staffing operations in the UK. Their expertise spans aircraft design, power systems, atmospheric science, and telecommunications, covering the full range of challenges the programme must solve — from new aircraft designs and novel ways to power them to the networks, forecasting, and safety frameworks needed to run stratospheric operations at scale.