Google’s Titan to repay New Mexico $1 million for Moriarty closure

Is the sun rising or setting for Titan?

The Albuquerque Journal reports that Google backed Titan are to pull out of their New Mexico base. Perhaps Hanger One has a corner ear marked for them.

They will need a little bit of space for the six registered platforms, sorry five they lost one back in June.

N registry data from Drone Spotters

Google must be still smarting that they did buy into part of the QinetiQ Zephyr team. Those folks have since gone on to build Facebook’s prototype drone internet entry.

If I were charged with bringing this project to market at Google I would be jumping on a plane and talking with AtlantikSolar, ETH Zurich’s Autonomous Systems Lab who have recently flown for a jolly long time. They could bring a great deal of experience into the Titan fold, unless they are keeping them secret we have seen no significant endurance flights from Titan yet. Somehow I don’t think Google would keep quiet about any achievements.

I’m all for bringing better internet provision to the developing world, I live in it and want to get going!

By Ellen Marks

Google Inc. will repay the state nearly $1 million in economic assistance funds — the full amount the computer giant owes after pulling subsidiary Titan Aerospace out of Moriarty, New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela said Monday.

Google announced last week that Titan Aerospace was leaving its facilities at the Moriarty airport, where it has been developing a solar-powered drone.

The state’s investment had included $995,000 for infrastructure improvements at the Titan site, and Google has agreed to repay that amount under clawback provisions, Barela said. Those improvements, including water- and sewer-line extensions, are there for future use as officials seek another tenant.

“Therefore, the New Mexico taxpayers are actually ahead on this project,” Barela said.