Launching a network of stratospheric internet balloons.
globally coordinated support
Services provided
Launch Site Management
Laboratory Systems Testing
Asset Recovery
Facilities/Logistics Support
It seemed like a crazy idea, with the name to match. Loon—a company incubated in Google’s moonshot laboratory—would connect the planet’s most remote places to the world wide web by using giant balloons floating along the edge of space.
The brilliant minds at Loon overcame countless technical challenges, from designing balloons that could survive hundreds of days in the harsh conditions of the stratosphere to using lasers to beam connectivity between them.
To tackle the challenges of launching and recovering the balloons from anywhere on the globe, Loon tapped our logistical expertise, beginning in 2014. Our mission initially involved wrangling balloons across the United States. Eventually, we deployed operations teams at dedicated launch sites in Nevada and Puerto Rico, and two technical test crews based at the company’s California HQ. A Colorado-based balloon recovery team stood ready 24-7.
Indeed some of the most important missions required flexibility to launch with minimal planning. That was the case in 2017 when Peru experienced destructive flooding and two major hurricanes damaged critical infrastructure in Puerto Rico. We supported the Loon response to both disasters, providing emergency connectivity to hundreds of thousands of people in need.
“there are no typical days in the field. weather would rewrite schedules. real-time responses had to be coordinated across multiple regions. and the client demanded extreme confidentiality as it strove toward full-scale commercial operations. ”
All the hard work to prove the technology paid off, but technical success doesn’t always mean commercial success. Loon ended operations in 2021, and we were there to help wind down for what turned out to be one crazy ride.
Featured
