Strategic Tac Radio and Tac Overwatch (STRATO)

A high-altitude balloon technology for persistent wildfire communications and real-time fire observations. STRATO combines stratospheric station-keeping, LTE and tactical radio links, and electro-optical/infrared sensing to provide last-mile connectivity and incident intelligence to firefighters in remote areas without reliable cellular coverage.

Identity

Aliases: STRATOStrategic Tactical Radio and Tactical Overwatch
Domains: aviation
Name: Strategic Tac Radio and Tac Overwatch (STRATO)
Status: completed
Types: developmentoperations

Details

Description: A high-altitude balloon technology for persistent wildfire communications and real-time fire observations. STRATO combines stratospheric station-keeping, LTE and tactical radio links, and electro-optical/infrared sensing to provide last-mile connectivity and incident intelligence to firefighters in remote areas without reliable cellular coverage.
End Date: 2025-09-30
Leads
Participants: -
Start Date: 2022-09-01

Assets & Meta

Creation Time: August 14, 2026 at 07:19:56 UTC
Updated Time: August 14, 2026 at 07:19:56 UTC

Other

Official Urls: https://techport.nasa.gov/projects/145003https://www.nasa.gov/stmd-flight-opportunities/flight-summaries/improving-firefighter-safety-with-strato/https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/nasa-and-forest-service-use-balloon-to-help-firefighters-communicate/