network coverage, thanks to AT&T and its global network partners. The principal
benefit is that Loon’s system will now be fully integrated with AT&T and extend to
any third-party mobile service provider that is already partnered with the U.S. carrier in order to provide international roaming for its network. That’s a key ingredient because the nature of disaster preparedness means you can’t really be sure
when or where service will be required. The extended AT&T network provides a
good swath of global coverage that can be turned on at relatively short notice.
Thanks to AT&T’s existing agreements, the new partnership meant Loon would
have over 200 global roaming partners ready to go, in case of need. It works with
local operators directly to ensure there is a ground infrastructure to work with its
equipment.
On October 29, 2020, Loon announced that they had broken the record for
flight duration of 312 days, having flown around the world.
On January 21, 2021, Google announced it would shut down Loon and wind
down operations in the next several months. Astro Teller stated, “Sadly, despite
the team’s groundbreaking technical achievements over the last 9 years, the road
to commercial viability has proven much longer and riskier than hoped. So we’ve
made the difficult decision to close down Loon.”
5.1.2 Equipment
The Loon Flight System actually comprises three separate systems: the balloon
envelope, the bus, and the payload. Together, they work seamlessly to provide lift,
monitor flight telemetry, and provide connectivity. Loon exclusively uses Raven
Aerospace super-pressure balloons that achieve buoyancy using helium. They
change their altitude by adjusting the mass of the system (and therefore its density) while maintaining the volume of the balloon constant. This involves an internal air chamber, separate from the lift gas chamber, in which ambient air is pumped
in to increase the system’s mass to descend or is released to reduce the system’s
mass to ascend.
As super-pressure balloons, Loon balloons have a higher-than-ambient pressure. They are made of a non-elastic thin material film (like polyethylene) reinforced by an exo-structure of tendons which contain the pressure loads and prevent
the balloon from changing volume in response to variations in the internal pressure. They are designed to last hundreds of days prior to making a controlled
descent.
The bus consists of the hardware necessary for safe flight operations, including
highly efficient solar panels that power the system during the day and charge an
onboard battery to allow nighttime operations. The bus also includes an altitude
control system for navigation and a parachute that deploys automatically to guide
the balloon safely back to Earth after flight. For additional safety, Loon includes
redundant satellite communications links and transponders for constant visibility
to air traffic control systems. The bus also has the electronics for command and
control of the Loon system.
5.1 Loon 85
benefit is that Loon’s system will now be fully integrated with AT&T and extend to
any third-party mobile service provider that is already partnered with the U.S. carrier in order to provide international roaming for its network. That’s a key ingredient because the nature of disaster preparedness means you can’t really be sure
when or where service will be required. The extended AT&T network provides a
good swath of global coverage that can be turned on at relatively short notice.
Thanks to AT&T’s existing agreements, the new partnership meant Loon would
have over 200 global roaming partners ready to go, in case of need. It works with
local operators directly to ensure there is a ground infrastructure to work with its
equipment.
On October 29, 2020, Loon announced that they had broken the record for
flight duration of 312 days, having flown around the world.
On January 21, 2021, Google announced it would shut down Loon and wind
down operations in the next several months. Astro Teller stated, “Sadly, despite
the team’s groundbreaking technical achievements over the last 9 years, the road
to commercial viability has proven much longer and riskier than hoped. So we’ve
made the difficult decision to close down Loon.”
5.1.2 Equipment
The Loon Flight System actually comprises three separate systems: the balloon
envelope, the bus, and the payload. Together, they work seamlessly to provide lift,
monitor flight telemetry, and provide connectivity. Loon exclusively uses Raven
Aerospace super-pressure balloons that achieve buoyancy using helium. They
change their altitude by adjusting the mass of the system (and therefore its density) while maintaining the volume of the balloon constant. This involves an internal air chamber, separate from the lift gas chamber, in which ambient air is pumped
in to increase the system’s mass to descend or is released to reduce the system’s
mass to ascend.
As super-pressure balloons, Loon balloons have a higher-than-ambient pressure. They are made of a non-elastic thin material film (like polyethylene) reinforced by an exo-structure of tendons which contain the pressure loads and prevent
the balloon from changing volume in response to variations in the internal pressure. They are designed to last hundreds of days prior to making a controlled
descent.
The bus consists of the hardware necessary for safe flight operations, including
highly efficient solar panels that power the system during the day and charge an
onboard battery to allow nighttime operations. The bus also includes an altitude
control system for navigation and a parachute that deploys automatically to guide
the balloon safely back to Earth after flight. For additional safety, Loon includes
redundant satellite communications links and transponders for constant visibility
to air traffic control systems. The bus also has the electronics for command and
control of the Loon system.
5.1 Loon 85