With Purchase of Drone Maker, Google Sees a Fleet of Satellites - NYTimes.com - NYTimes.com

Facebook/Google drone wars

"While Google’s goals may sound lofty, Google may share them with a competitor: Facebook, which recently bought Ascenta, a British company that makes a similar type of drone. Earlier reports said that Facebook was in talks to buy Titan Aerospace.

The Titan Aerospace drones are notable because they are solar-powered and can fly for several years, according to the company’s website.

Drones that can remain aloft for long periods of time could be used to constantly update images of the earth, which Google could put to use in its Maps platform."

With Purchase of Drone Maker, Google Sees a Fleet of Satellites - NYTimes.com - NYTimes.com