ESA-standard stratospheric balloon system carrying payloads up to 2 kg to 38 km altitude — LoRa 144.8 MHz, SALSA autonomous landing, 150-min flights, 500 km range. Commercial, scientific, and marketing applications.
GOSPACENOW Stratospheric Probe Platform
ESA-standard stratospheric balloon system carrying payloads up to 2 kg to 38 km altitude — LoRa 144.8 MHz, SALSA autonomous landing, 150-min flights, 500 km range. Commercial, scientific, and marketing applications.
Description
The GOSPACENOW stratospheric balloon platform, developed by GOSPACE LABS, transports customer payloads up to 2 kg into the stratosphere (up to 38 km altitude) for scientific research, technology demonstration, commercial imaging, and marketing campaigns. The system uses a helium-filled balloon that starts at 2 meters diameter (4,000 liters volume) and expands to approximately 12 meters at 25 km altitude, with a flight profile lasting up to 150 minutes and covering up to 500 km horizontal distance.
The probe's architecture is modular and CubeSat-inspired, featuring a Stratospheric Autonomous Landing System Application (SALSA) developed to European Space Agency standards for controlled payload recovery. The communication system uses the 144.800 MHz amateur frequency for two-way Earth-to-probe and probe-to-Earth communication with up to 12 hours of battery endurance. Real-time position detection enables live tracking throughout the flight.
GOSPACENOW has been deployed for clients including Websupport, Telefónica O2, Hitchhiker Films, and TV Markíza, demonstrating the platform's suitability for commercial payloads alongside scientific and educational missions. GOSPACE LABS, founded as a spin-off from the Slovak Organization for Space Activities, brings deep space heritage — including the SKCUBE nanosatellite program and ESA partnership experience — to this near-space access platform.
Specifications
| Max payload mass | 2,000 g |
|---|---|
| Max altitude | 38 km |
| Balloon initial diameter | 2 m (4,000 liters volume) |
| Balloon diameter at altitude | ~12 m at 25 km |
| Gas | Helium (hydrogen option available) |
| Max flight duration | 150 minutes |
| Max range | 500 km |
| Communication frequency | 144.800 MHz (two-way) |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| Landing system | SALSA (Stratospheric Autonomous Landing System Application, ESA standard) |
| Architecture | Modular, CubeSat-inspired design |
