Bloomberg’s new report says that Apple is developing satellite technology to transmit data to mobile devices and launch a new software project in five years.
Although, there are many unknowns and alerts. The idea is “very early and maybe canceled,” says Bloomberg. “Apple’s ultimate goal remains uncertain.” It is also unclear whether the company would like to build its satellites or merely use Satellite Technology data from others.
Nonetheless, the iPhone maker can do valuable things with the technology in place. Apple could improve its maps and monitoring points or increase mobile reception and Internet coverage for its Mobile Devices, making the company more self-employed.
Bloomberg reports say that Apple currently has only a dozen developers but is continuously hiring. A few aerospace engineers head the team, “Michael Trela and John Fenwick,” who worked with Google in 2014, Skybox Imaging. At the same time, Google focused on satellites and rockets before switching to Apple in 2017.
Some findings are timely, but Apple is certainly not the only technology company involved in satellites technology. The company is experiencing a renaissance, as new technologies have reduced costs. SpaceX and Amazon collaborate on their internet distribution programs via Satellite Technology and have begun to launch what will eventually turn into thousands of constellations of crafts into the low Earth orbit.
The satellite industry has a revamped history and has significant failures such as Iridium, GlobalStar, and Teledisc. Such businesses were very financed and began satellite fleets in the 1990s but ultimately did not support themselves because of the financial and technical challenges.
This remains to be seen whether Apple Satellite Technology fail or float. Nevertheless, Bloomberg notes that Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, has taken an interest in the project, potentially positive in the rise in R&D investment (up 14% to 16 billion dollars in 2019).
Check out: Satellite-Carrying Rocket launch ends in energy failure.