Zero 2 Infinity Performs a New Commercial Balloon Flight to Near Space with Four Experiments Onboard
This flight opens the door for new capabilities for high altitude experiments and payload testing
Barcelona, Spain, August 10th, 2017 – The private space transportation company Zero 2 Infinity has successfully performed the first all-night zero pressure balloon flight from the Córdoba Airport facilities, in southern Spain. This activity is part of Elevate, the running business of Zero 2 Infinity since 2011, the first European commercial transportation service to use stratospheric balloons to reach altitudes above 30km.
Balloon flights above 30km allow commercial companies to perform experiments and test components in space conditions for validation and also as an intermediate step on development processes. Researchers also get access to the upper layers of the atmosphere, a region that is of great interest due to the lack of experimental data.
Payloads on the flight included components from Altran, DHV, an atmospheric research experiment from Lulea Technology University in Sweden, and a small satellite from the Spanish startup AisTech. This shared flight with experimental and technological objectives has enabled the rapid testing and accelerated the development of important payloads.
The flight also tested some new trajectory prediction systems and navigation and communication elements. Zero 2 Infinity worked closely with the Spanish authorities AENA and Enaire to ensure the safe operation of the mission. The new elements will allow more efficient and secure balloon operations and a simpler interface with the air traffic control authorities.
The Space sector has become more open to private initiatives and is currently living a revolution. Many services are in development, from global communication services to meteorological predictions, interconnection of machines through the Internet of Things, and even the possibility of having a daily picture of the entire planet. These advances have paved the way for the creation of hundreds of companies that need efficient and safe transportation services like the ones Zero 2 Infinity is offering and developing.
Zero 2 Infinity, a private company headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, with subsidiaries around the world, is radically simplifying access to Space. It is the only company in Europe specialized in the elevation to Near Space of components that require testing and certifying in space conditions.