The emergency telecommunications play a critical role in the disaster risk reduction and it is of paramount importance providing communication services during an emergency. In recent years, it becomes a new direction of development applying the aerostat as a new emergency communication platform. In comparison with the conventional manned or unmanned aircraft, the aerostat provides a larger coverage area and a less delay of the transmission time with longer flight duration. At present, some typical types of aerostats, including the high-altitude super pressure balloons and the low-altitude tethered balloons, have reached the principle demonstration or test flight stages. One of the best-known projects is the Google's Project Loon, which has been successfully used to provide emergency telecommunication services in Peruvian floods and Puerto Rico hurricane disaster. In this paper, the super pressure balloon and tethered balloon technologies and the current development status are reviewed, as well as some key issues related to the aerostat as an communication platform.

emergency communications  /  natural disasters  /  aerostats  /  high-altitude super pressure balloons  /  tethered balloons