Demonstration of LoRA-Equipped Balloon Relays for Low-Cost Non-Terrestrial Networks

Wide-area sensor networks play a crucial role in Earth observation applications. One of the critical challenges is to provide low-cost and low-power communication networks, as conventional satellite communication systems and high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) do not meet both requirements simultaneously. This paper demonstrates the use of light balloons and LoRa communication relays for low-cost non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), which offer extended coverage over several hundred kilometers from land. Although conventional balloons have limited flight range, we integrated altitude-controlled balloons with LoRa communication to increase the operational area. The experimental results showed the total distance of communications with the balloon relay reached 481 km.