Plan a Mission
Stratospheric balloon flights in Canada

High-altitude balloon payload flights

Payload integration and flight

Fly your payload to the stratosphere

Need to test hardware or collect data in near space? Bring your camera, sensor or research instrument. We handle payload integration, flight planning, launch, tracking and recovery on our StratoHAB high-altitude balloon.

StratoHAB operates at 15–25 km, above weather and air traffic. Our team has flown five stratospheric flights carrying our own systems and customer payloads, under Transport Canada authorization.

Plan a payload flight
Two people holding the StratoHAB gondola with a customer payload integrated
Who it's for

Near-space flights for research and hardware testing

Two team members preparing the gondola on a table at the airfield

  • Research instruments

    Fly an atmospheric, astronomy or environmental instrument and collect measurements in a space-like environment, high above weather and air traffic.

  • Hardware testing and flight heritage

    Prove a camera, sensor or electronics package in real stratospheric flight conditions before a larger or orbital mission.

  • Stratospheric imagery and data

    Capture imagery or data from the stratosphere over the area you need, with flight planning built around your goals.

  • University researchers

    Western University and York University have flown payloads with us. We take care of the launch so your team can focus on the experiment.

How a flight works

How a high-altitude balloon payload flight works

  1. Engineer assembling the gondola at a workbench
    Integrate your payload with StratoHAB
  2. Flight manager on the phone beside a live flight map
    Plan the flight and coordinate airspace
  3. Balloon lifting off from the airfield
    Launch and track the flight
  4. StratoHAB gondola outdoors
    Track the descent and go out for recovery
Flight record

Our flights

Our team has planned, launched, tracked and recovered five stratospheric flights carrying our own systems and customer payloads, under Transport Canada authorization.

Flights to the stratosphere
5
Paying customers
3Western University, York University and DISC
Stratotegic launch team beneath a balloon at the airfield
The launch team beneath StratoHAB at the airfield.
Questions

High-altitude balloon payload questions

Can I fly my own payload on a high-altitude balloon?

Yes. Bring your camera, sensor or research instrument. We integrate it with StratoHAB and manage the flight from launch through recovery.

What payloads can you fly?

Every payload is different. Tell us its size, weight, power and data needs and what you want from the flight, and we'll plan the integration and flight around it.

What is payload integration?

Payload integration is mounting your equipment on the flight system and connecting it so it works in flight. We handle it with your team before launch.

How high does the payload fly?

StratoHAB operates at 15–25 km, in the stratosphere, above weather and commercial air traffic.

Do I need permission to launch a high-altitude balloon in Canada?

High-altitude balloon flights in Canada fall under Transport Canada rules. We plan each flight, coordinate airspace and fly under Transport Canada authorization, so your team doesn't have to.

How is the payload recovered?

Our team tracks every flight from launch to landing, then heads out to recover the payload where it comes down.

How do I book a payload flight?

Tell us about your payload and what you need from the flight. We'll plan the mission with you.

Ready to fly your payload to the stratosphere?

Tell us about your payload and we'll plan the flight with you.

Plan a payload flight