Earth observation satellites are critical for many reasons which is another topic. My proposition is an alternative to those satellites, using hydrogen powered VTOL planes that can fly at higher altitudes.
There are fully solar powered planes, but they are very fragile and cannot carry advance sensors due to weight limitation. An efficient hydrogen powered plane with solar panels on the other hand can carry more weight. These planes will refuel on offshore floating wind farms. These wind farms will use the electricity generated to electrolyze the sea water and store the resulting hydrogen to refuel the observation planes. VTOL capability will allow the planes to land on the offshore refueling stations safely.
As the number of observation planes increase, they can be used as communication relays as well. The polar route allows less number of planes to cover the whole world. Unlike satellites that have limited propellent, the planes route and altitude can be altered to conduct more advanced research.
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