Improving Firefighter Safety with STRATO
FLIGHT SUMMARY
NASA researchers, the U.S. Forest Service, and Sioux Falls-based high-altitude balloon company, Aerostar, have teamed up to provide cell coverage from the stratosphere. On August 4, 2024, the STRATO (Strategic Tactical Radio and Tactical Overwatch) technology launched aboard Aerostar’s Thunderhead high-altitude balloon for flight testing over the West Mountain Complex fires in Idaho. The system aims to provide persistent cell coverage from the stratosphere, enabling real-time communication between firefighters and command posts. It also uses an infrared sensor to provide valuable heat and spatial information to help them better understand the fire’s characteristics.
Researchers are evaluating the feasibility of using a stratospheric platform to deliver critical information to first responders on the ground. This flight test — supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, the agency’s Earth Science Division Airborne Science Program, and the U.S. Forest Service — not only offers immediate benefits to wildland firefighters but is also expected to contribute to several long-term NASA research efforts in science and aeronautics.
flight provider
Aerostar
Flight Test Platform
High-altitude balloon
LauncH Date
August 4, 2024
locations
West Mountain Complex, Idaho (Launched from Baker City, Oregon)
“A firefighter needs a variety of tools like golfers need different clubs in their bag. We’re using push-to-talk devices, ground-based cameras, fixed-wing aircraft, and satellites. That’s a lot of clubs, and they all serve a purpose. Just like you need to choose the right club for your shot, you need to use the appropriate technology for your need, and they all work together to accomplish a task. We’re hoping STRATO will give us another club we’ve been needing — that is, persistent, long-duration communications to connect to a variety of devices where and when we need it.”
Sean Triplett, U.S. Forest Service
NASA, U.S. Forest Service, and Industry Test Cell Tower in the Sky
About the Payload
Challenges with line-of-sight radio communications in rugged terrain and limited cell phone coverage in remote areas hamper the sharing of critical information between wildland firefighters in the field and the incident command post miles away.
Designed to address these communications challenges, the STRATO technology combines a variety of sensors with two key connections to keep the incident command post in continuous contact with firefighters wherever they are in the field. First, a specialized LTE payload and antenna designed by Motorola Solutions is mounted on a gimbal, pivoting and rotating to maintain the signal between the Thunderhead balloon and firefighters. Second, Starlink (a division of SpaceX) and the Silvus broadband wireless system provide continuous communication between the balloon and the incident command post. These two elements provide a level of connectivity that has been missing in last-mile communications — that is, direct contact with wildland firefighters.
In addition, STRATO’s suite of sensors includes an infrared camera autonomously controlled by Range and Bearing. The infrared camera collects heat, spatial, and other data to help characterize the fire. For firefighters in the air and on the ground, this is valuable information that is not currently available in near real-time.
Applications
Greater connectivity enables wildland firefighters to be safer and more effective because they can communicate in real time with each other and the incident command post. They could even use mobile phone apps that provide weather alerts, pinpoint their location, and more. If successful, STRATO will provide firefighters with tools that increase their situational awareness and boost their efficiency.
In addition to improving communications for firefighters, the STRATO flight test is expected to deliver results to several important long-term NASA research efforts in science and aeronautics. For example, STRATO could enable NASA’s FireSense Technology program to collect more scientific data to forecast emissions and air quality impacts from wildfires. For the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations project, STRATO’s communications capability could help improve airspace management during rescue, imaging, and fire suppression flights.
Flight Test Objectives
Prior to launch, Aerostar expected to maintain the position of its Thunderhead balloon system in the vicinity of the fires for approximately 7 to 10 days. This type of station-keeping flight profile allows researchers to evaluate the technical, operational, and financial feasibility of using stratospheric platforms to continuously push critical information to the first responders on the ground — a goal Aerostar has been pursuing for several years. Click on the tab above to learn more about the flight test results.
STRATO Flight Test Results
The Aerostar Thunderhead balloon system flew over multiple fire locations in Idaho, enabling STRATO testing for more than two weeks over a variety of conditions.
— STRATO was tested for 11 days (August 4–14, 2024) with the support of NASA’s Flight Opportunities program.
— Further testing of STRATO continued over several U.S. fires as well as over fire areas in Canada.
STRATO successfully provided persistent LTE coverage to areas where other LTE coverage was not available due to heavy tree canopy or canyonlike terrain.
Integrating STRATO with the balloon provided a strong, directed LTE signal that enabled communications between firefighters and the incident command post.
STRATO provided imagery — including the first images of the Snag fire — that was useful to incident teams.
This flight test also demonstrated the potential for using a station-keeping balloon for scientific missions, expanding communications networks and providing imagery as well as the resulting insights for operational decision making.
A Team Effort
Many organizations are participating in this effort.
Federal Agencies
NASA’s Ames Research Center and Flight Opportunities program
U.S. Forest Service
National Interagency Fire Center
National Park Service
Federal Emergency Management Agency
U.S. Department of Defense
State/Local Agencies
CAL FIRE (California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Prevention)
City of Corona, California Fire Department
Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting
Commercial Companies
Aerostar
Motorola Solutions
Range and Bearing
More About the Images
The photos along the top of this page are courtesy of Austin Buttlar, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting:
- Left: Experienced firefighter Kim Hinshaw of the U.S. Forest Service, Lincoln National Forest, conducts a signal connectivity survey to ensure reliable communication from the STRATO payload.
- Center: On August 4, 2024, the Aerostar Thunderhead balloon carried the STRATO payload into the sky to reach the stratosphere for flight testing. (The balloon appears deflated because it will expand as it rises to higher altitudes where pressures are lower.)
- Right: The Forest Service’s common-operating picture (WFTAK) displays incident information used by wildland firefighters in the field, to enhance situational awareness. The red line represents the perimeter of the Snag fire on August 14, 2024. The blue circle represents LTE connectivity provided by the STRATO payload.
For media inquiries, please contact both:
Jasmine Hopkins | jasmine.s.hopkins@nasa.gov
NASA’s Ames Research Center Newsroom | arc-dl-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov
Related Content
NASA's FireSense Technology Program to predict and manage wildfires
Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO)
Wildland Fires and NASA's Earth Science Applied Sciences Program
