World-first Demonstration Tracks High-altitude Platform Using Ground Laser Pulses

SoftBank, Hitotsubashi University, and the Japanese Polar Research Institute conducted the world's first demonstration of ground-based laser tracking of a stratospheric HAPS platform. The experiment took place on August 23–24, 2026, off Cape Muroto: laser pulses reflected off a corner reflector on the Sceye platform and were received by a compact ground system.

• HAPS platform operated at about 20 km altitude over waters off Cape Muroto
• Passive corner cube reflector (CCR) used without data transmission
• System performed pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) of moving platform
• Laser turned off when manned aircraft detected in HAPS direction