The surface area \( S \) of a sphere can be calculated using the formula:
\[ S = 4\pi r^2 \]
where \( r \) is the radius of the sphere.
Given that the radius \( r = 99 \) inches, we can substitute this value into the formula:
\[ S = 4\pi (99^2) \]
First, calculate \( 99^2 \):
\[ 99^2 = 9801 \]
Now, substitute this back into the surface area formula:
\[ S = 4\pi (9801) \]
Now calculate \( 4 \times 9801 \):
\[ 4 \times 9801 = 39204 \]
Finally, we can express the surface area as:
\[ S = 39204\pi \]
To get a numerical approximation, use \( \pi \approx 3.14159 \):
\[ S \approx 39204 \times 3.14159 \approx 123,113.12 \]
Therefore, the surface area of the sphere is approximately:
\[ S \approx 123113.12 , \text{in}^2 \]
So, rounding to two decimal places, the final response is:
\[ S \approx 123113.12 , \text{in}^2 \]