“BLESS is our chance to take Wi-Fi HaLow beyond the ground and into the stratosphere. For us, every test, every redesign, and every challenge is part of learning how real space engineering is done.” BLESS team
BLESS experiment
BLESS (BEXUS HaLow Evaluation in Stratospheric Systems) is an experiment designed to study how Wi-Fi HaLow, also known as IEEE 802.11ah, performs in a real stratospheric environment.
Wi-Fi HaLow is a long-range, low-power wireless communication standard that operates in the sub-1 GHz band, making it a promising candidate for future Internet of Things applications, high-altitude platforms and aerospace telemetry systems.
Although the technology has already shown impressive results in long-distance ground-based tests, its behaviour in vertical near-space links remains largely unexplored. BLESS aims to fill this gap by evaluating signal quality, communication reliability and hardware resilience of Wi-Fi HaLow during a BEXUS balloon flight.
The experiment consists of a compact payload integrated into the BEXUS gondola and a dedicated ground station. During ascent, float, and descent, the payload periodically transmits telemetry packets using a Wi-Fi HaLow link in the European 863–868 MHz band.
At the same time, the onboard system records key parameters such as signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, packet delivery, round-trip time, transmit power, voltage, current, and module temperature.
Environmental sensors measure internal and external temperature, pressure, humidity, and radiation, enabling the team to correlate the radio link performance with the actual conditions experienced in the stratosphere. If the connection with the ground station is lost, the experiment continues operating autonomously and stores all data onboard for post-flight analysis.
The BLESS team
The BLESS team is made up of students from Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Spain.
Bringing together students from Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence Engineering, the team combines expertise in electronics, RF systems, software, mechanical design, thermal analysis, data processing, and outreach.
BLESS in a nutshell
| Experiment | BLESS (BEXUS HaLow Evaluation in Stratospheric Systems) |
| Objective | To characterize the performance, reliability, and hardware resilience of Wi-Fi HaLow IEEE 802.11ah in the stratosphere, evaluating its potential for long-range vertical telemetry and future aerospace IoT applications. |
| University, Country | Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Spain |
| Website | BLESS Website |
| Social media | BLESS on LinkedIn BLESS on Instagram BLESS on TikTok BLESS on YouTube BLESS on GitHub |
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