Special Temporary Authority application - Applicant Name
Name of Applicant:
Rainmaker Technology Corporation
Special Temporary Authority application - Best Contact
First Name:
Sam
Last Name:
Kim
Phone Number:
310-853-3127
Title:
Mr.
Special Temporary Authority application - Certification
Applicant certification
Neither the applicant nor any other party to the application is subject to a denial of Federal benefits that includes FCC benefits pursuant to Section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, 21 U.S.C. Section 862, because of a conviction for possession or distribution of a controlled substance. The applicant hereby waives any claim to the use of any particular frequency or electromagnetic spectrum as against the regulatory power of the United States because of the prvious use of the same, whether by license or otherwise, and requests authorization in accordance with this application. (See Section 304 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.) The applicant acknowledges that all statements made in this application and attached exhibits are considered material representations, and that all the exhibits part hereof and are incorporated herein as if set out in full in this application; undersigned certifies that all statements in this application are true, complete and correct to the best of his/her knowledge and belief and are made in good faith. Applicant certifies that construction of the station would NOT be an action which is likely to have a significant environmental effect. See the Commission's Rules, 47 CFR1.1301-1.1319.
Date:
2026-05-04 00:00:00.0
Signature of Applicant (Authorized person filing form):
Samuel Kim
Title of Applicant (if any):
Director of Regulatory
Special Temporary Authority application - Explanation
Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary:
An STA is necessary to permit experimental testing of a short-range maritime radar, the Garmin Fantom 18x, to evaluate its viability as a detect-and-avoid (DAA) aircraft collision avoidance system. This temporary authorization will allow Rainmaker to test the system across multiple operating locations to detect and track uncooperative aircraft within the National Airspace System (NAS). The experimental testing period is required to validate the systems capabilities against RTCA DO-381 and ASTM F3442-25 standards. If these initial validations are successful, the STA will have facilitated the necessary testing to undergo further development and coordination with an FAA BEYOND UAS test site.
Special Temporary Authority application - Information
Callsign:
WA9XLI
Class of Station:
MO
Nature of Service:
Experimental
Special Temporary Authority application - Initial values - Requested Period of Operation
Operation End Date:
12/31/2027
Operation Start Date:
07/01/2026
Special Temporary Authority application - Manufacturer
Equipment 1 Experimental
Yes
Equipment 1 Manufacturer
Garmin
Equipment 1 Model Number
Fantom 18x
Equipment 1 No. Of Units
3
Equipment 2 Experimental
Yes
Equipment 2 Manufacturer
Garmin
Equipment 2 Model Number
Fantom 254
Equipment 2 No. Of Units
3
Special Temporary Authority application - Purpose of Operation
Please explain the purpose of operation:
The primary objective of this experiment is to evaluate the viability of a short-range maritime radar (Garmin Fantom 18x) as a detect-and-avoid (DAA) aircraft collision avoidance system. Rainmaker intends to validate this highly mobile, cost-effective alternative against legacy DAA systems. The operation will test the X-band radars ability to detect targets through common aerial obscurities, such as light fog and cloud cover. Validating this experimental setup serves a significant public interest by advancing aviation safety, adding crucial detection capabilities to our uncrewed fleet, and facilitating proper FAA flight authorizations for our drought-relief cloud seeding operations.
Special Temporary Authority application - Requested Period of Operation