We fly early and often.
We fly a near-space mission every few months to turn simulations into measured numbers. Every claim on this site is either flown or on a dated flight to be measured.
Flown, upcoming and planned.
- May 2026
Stratos-1
First stratospheric flight. Flew the Jetson compute module and cameras to 42 km.
Flown - October 2026
Stratos-2
Validates the star camera, intelligent imaging and passive radiative cooling technologies.
Upcoming - 2027
On-board stacking
First on-board stacking flight.
Planned
What Stratos-2 will measure.
Results will be posted on this page after the flight in October 2026.
- Star camera
- Attitude solutions during motion, the capability the rest of the payload depends on.
- Intelligent imaging
- The imaging and compute chain working together in flight.
- Passive radiative cooling
- Keeping the electronics in range without active cooling.
Simulate, build, fly, measure.
At 42 km the air is thin and cold and the sky above is dark. A high-altitude balloon flight puts hardware through those conditions, and we can schedule one every few months.
Each campaign replaces a simulated number with a measured one. That number is what goes on this site.
Stratos missions FAQ
What is Stratos?
Our series of high-altitude balloon flights. Each one carries our hardware to the stratosphere to measure what we had simulated.
How high did Stratos-1 fly?
To 42 km, in May 2026, carrying our compute module and cameras.
What will Stratos-2 test?
The star camera, intelligent imaging and passive radiative cooling. It flies in October 2026.
Why test on a balloon before orbit?
We can fly every few months for far less than a launch, and the hardware comes home. At 42 km the air is thin and cold and the sky above is dark.
Where will the results be published?
On this page, after the October 2026 flight.
Fly a pathfinder.
Reserve a star-camera engineering unit for 2027.