Partnership aims for stratospheric passenger balloon flights

Stratoflight is a sustainable mode of transport that will allow passengers to reach the stratosphere in a capsule that includes an ‘external’ viewing platform. The French-based company has partnered with Expleo, a multinational engineering, technology and consulting provider, who will design the flight capsule.

For its ascent, the spacecraft uses zero-pressure balloon technology filled with green hydrogen produced locally at the take-off site via renewable energy, including solar and wind.

The vehicle will measure 8m x 4m x 3m high to accommodate up to six people, including two pilots. Reservations for passengers will open in early 2023, with the first flight scheduled for 2025. Stratoflight added that it will offer several flights annually to people involved in Earth preservation, science and space, education, and the charity sector.

Passengers wearing a pressurised suit will be able to step out of the capsule to view the Earth from the stratosphere, at an altitude where the planet’s curvature will be visible and a horizon spanning Barcelona to Amsterdam will be observable also.