Long Wave STA

[NJQA]

From Experimental Radio News, issue 8:

(https://www.experimentalradio.news/experimental-radio-news-8/)

Longwave for remote sensing

Lunasonde was issued Special Temporary Authorization WV9XBO for experiments at 119-121 kHz, as it develops an Earth-sensing constellation to detect ground resources.

“Lunasonde’s ability to look 15,000 times deeper than current satellites and sensors is the next frontier in resource exploration," the company said. “Our small satellite can locate groundwater, mineral deposits, and other geological resources up to two kilometers underground. Our data is collected in three minutes and provides a true 3D map of the earth's subsurface."

For the low-frequency STA, “The proposed testing is necessary to increase the technology readiness level of the Lunasonde LF transceiver. A 100-foot structure located in Tucson, AZ will transmit in the requested frequency band.

“During a test mission, one uncrewed high-altitude balloon will carry one LF receiver system approximately 60,000-100,000 feet above ground level over the transmission structure. Transmitted signals that reflect from the Earth’s surface would be received by the free-floating balloon receiver system. ...

“The system is equipped with a redundant cut-down device, a radar reflector, and an ADS-B transponder… The balloon is returned to the ground either when it reaches maximum altitude (approximately 100,000-130,000 ft) or when the cutdown is commanded, at which point a parachute is used to safely return the payload to the ground. In either scenario, Lunasonde will retrieve the balloon and equipment.”

‘No expectations’ for future approval

“Lunasonde, Inc. shall have no expectations that future requests for operational use of this transceiver from low earth orbit using the 119-121 kHz band will be approved, and Lunasonde, Inc. should ensure that any future operational use of this equipment be conducted in appropriately allocated frequency bands,” the FCC told the company.