New world record for LoRa comms

The team of CA Muller Radio Astronomy Station's Jan van Muijlwijk and Tammo Jan Dijkema, Lacuna Space chief technology officer Thomas Telkamp and the European Space Agency’s Frank Zeppenfeldt used a Semtech LR1110 RF transceiver chip in the 430-440 Mhz amateur band to send the LoRa signal across what the group claims is a record distance.

For the ‘Moonbounce’ test, the LoRa signal was amplified to 350w using the 25-metre dish at the Dwingeloo Radio Observatory in the Netherlands to send the signal to the Moon and back in under 2.5 seconds. The message contained a full LoRa Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) frame and the modulated call sign ‘PI9CAM’, the call sign of the telescope at Dwingeloo,

The test marks the first time LoRa technology has been used to bounce a signal off the Moon and the scientists claimed it illustrates the potential of LoRa tech for Internet of Things applications and lunar communications including satellites and probes.