Emerging and Novel Entrants into Airspace – Opportunities

and Challenges

Julie JinProject Loon’s Head of Overflight, Google X

CANSO Global ATM Operations ConferenceJulie Jin, Program Manager – Airspace Integration & Safety

Reachable IP addresses observed in

2012 using ICMP Ping requests and Port

Scans (Carna Botnet)

Access is a huge problem

2 out of 3 people in the world are not connected to the internet

current solutions struggle to serve the needs of remote and rural users.

navigateby catching currents at

different altitudes

and coordinate as a mesh to ensure

continuous coverage

A network of unmanned free balloons thatprovide direct LTE to mobile devices via LTE

User connects via LTE-device

Signal transmitted down to telco station

Balloon to balloon transmission extends reach into remote areas

Our solution – Project Loon ~ FL600

Loon balloon compared to other UFBs

VISIBILITY ELEMENTS

Triple Redundant Position Tracking1. Transponder (ADS-B out with Mode A/C)2. Web based GPS via Iridium3 Iridium triangulation

Radar Reflective Materials

Omnidirectional light beacon ( > 5NM vis. )

REDUNDANT FLIGHT TERMINATION

Soft Terminate ( ~90 minute descent time )Slowly vents gas for gradual descent

Hard Terminate ( ~60 minute descent time )Quickly vents gas for fast descent

THE PAYLOAD AND BALLOON STAY AS ONE

Parachute recovers the entire flight systemParachuteLED

Strobe light

Flight termination

Safety tether

ICAO Annex 2, Appendix 5

Safety features

● 18+ million kilometers flown

● 800,000+ hours of operation

● 800+ flights launched

● Balloons max days aloft : over 150 days aloft (max: 187)

● 23 - Maximum # of countries overflown by a single flight

● 324 km/h ( 175kts ) - fastest speed

● -117°F / -83°C Coldest temperature survived

MAY2014

JUL JUN AUG SEP OCT DEC JAN2015

FEB MAR

First successful circumnavigation

First user LTE connection in rural Brazil

1 full day continuous test coverage in New Zealand

LTE tests around the world -- Australia, Chile, United States

Maneuverability accuracy within 500m of targets

Switch to 700 MHz which quadruples coverage area

JUN2013

1st user WiFi connectionin New Zealand

NOV

Progress to date

Our journey, moving forward

Safely and consistently manage a fleet of balloons at 20° N / S

1. LAUNCH

3. LAND

2. OVERFLIGHT

Formalizing relationships as we

develop with a focus on operations