The Russian company RUVDS announced that it had conducted the first ultra-shortwave (FM) radio broadcast from the stratosphere above the Arctic that could be received by ordinary radios.
A press release published by the company stated: "RUVDS conducted a stratospheric launch experiment at the high latitudes of the Arctic. One of these launches was the first of its kind in history for FM radio broadcasting from the stratosphere using home UHF radio receivers."
The project was carried out in cooperation with Stratonaftika, Murmansk Polar University, Rosatom State Corporation, and the Russian radio station Mayak.
The first launch of a stratospheric platform took place at an altitude of over 30 kilometers directly above the North Pole. Equipped with a specialized transmitter, the platform conducted a broadcast session in the publicly available FM band. The company noted that the Arctic region is free from industrial interference and regulatory restrictions on civilian broadcasting, making it an ideal location for testing.
RUVDS General Director Nikita Tsaplin said: "We tested a technology that could provide radio coverage of the entire territory of Russia via satellite in the future. It appears that FM radio broadcasting from the stratosphere to home receivers has been done for the first time in history. It was a very complex experiment from an engineering and logistical standpoint, but the result was worth all the effort."
The second deployment of the platform took place in the Franz Josef Archipelago and involved testing a recoverable stratospheric platform. After completing its program, the platform traveled over 100 kilometers and successfully returned to its designated location. Data collected by the platform's sensors and experimental multispectral camera will be used to assess climate change, track marine mammal populations, and monitor conditions along the Northern Sea Route.
