StratoCat is an independent source of historical data and current news on the development of stratospheric balloons for scientific research, aerospace and military applications, and commercial exploitation of near space.
Balloon launches by year
Complete list of stratospheric balloon launches by year, ordered chronologically, with flight details, specific payload, images, etc.
Balloon launches by base
Detailed information and launch logs for main balloon launch facilities including balloon bases, airports, and ships around the world.
Detailed flight reports
Ordered chronologically, detailed accounts of many balloon missions containing description of the payloads, details of the flight, pictures, videos and links to external references.
Articles
The stories that shaped scientific ballooning. Events and happenings, many of them memorable and epic, some others funny, a few curious or strange and even some tragedies.
Balloon Encyclopedia
Brief overview of those individuals, organizations, programs and events that had contributed to some extent to the development of scientific ballooning.
On this day...
Remembering every month important events and dates of scientific ballooning history
In this edition:
- Summer NASA/CNES balloon campaign in ESRANGE
- Iwaya Inc. new Japanese altitude record
- JAXA campaign in Taiki
- 500 days of continuous flights for Aerostar
- World View's recent activity
- Space Perspective's balloon launch ship arrives home
- SCEYE Airship longer flights so far
- New player in the field: Balloon Tech Co.
- In the news: Julian Nott, Korea's balloon war, ESA Symposium, Halo Space, Hera Rising, Chinese balloon program, Urban Sky
World Balloon News is a somewhat regular bulletin containing balloon-related news of what's going on in the field, some speculation (fancy term for "insider data" from sources I can't reveal), historical images, and details about the new contents that week after week enrich this humble project.
Weekly Balloon News # 11 - Chinese balloon edition - March 4th, 2023
Contents:
- What kind of balloon it was?
- Not an isolated incident, and not a "fleet" of spy balloons.
- Previous sightings. Connecting the dots
- The first downing using missiles? Yes and No
- The "secret" Chinese balloon base
- Science on the edge of reality
- The "weather balloon" explanation 70 years later
Left: The best picture of the Chinese balloon, taken by Frank Melliere above Illinois
Recent News Archive
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Balloons in flight (updated 3-Jan-2025 - 08:41:53am)
| Launched from | In flight since | Payload or experiment | Last known status |
|---|---|---|---|
 Santa Fe County (NM) | 3/28/2024 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 676 | Probably STILL IN FLIGHT (AEROSTAR'S new endurance record) >>>> Follow the flight in real-time here |
| Indiantown County (FL) | 4/22/2024 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 684 | Probably STILL IN FLIGHT (AEROSTAR'S 2nd endurance record) >>>> Follow the flight in real-time here |
| Hurley (SD) | 10/15/2024 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 713 | Probably STILL IN FLIGHT >>>> Follow the flight in real-time here |
| Hurley (SD) | 12/17/2024 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 714 | STILL IN FLIGHT >>>> Follow the flight in real-time here |
Last completed balloon flights (updated 3-Jan-2025 - 08:41:53am)
| Launch base | Date | Experiment | Flight duration |
|---|---|---|---|
 McMurdo | 2024/12/21 | SALTER TEST FLIGHT UNIVERSAL | --- |
| Baker Muni | 2024/8/4 | STRATO (Strategic Tactical Radio and Tactical Overwatch) | 34 d |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 2024/9/4 | HASP 2024 (High Altitude Student Platform) | 11 h 30 m |
| Page (AZ) | 2024/8/31 | STRATOLLITE | 28 d |
| Hurley (SD) | 2024/9/26 | FIGARO (5G Array for Lunar Relay Operations) | 9 h |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 2024/9/24 | DR-TES (Dilution Refrigerator Transition Edge Sensor) | 9 h 52 m |
| Santa Fe County (NM) | 2024/9/3 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 701 | 21 d 5 h |
| Santa Fe County (NM) | 2024/9/3 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 703 | 21 d 8 h |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 2024/9/23 | TIM (Terahertz Intensity Mapper) | 8 h |
| Santa Fe County (NM) | 2024/9/3 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 702 | 20 d 7 h |
| Santa Fe County (NM) | 2024/9/2 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 705 | 7 h 35 m |
 MS Voyager | 2024/9/15 | NEPTUNE EXCELSIOR CAPSULE TEST #1 | 8 h |
| Capitan (NM) | 2024/9/12 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 707 | 18 h 20 m |
| Capitan (NM) | 2024/9/12 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 706 | 15 h |
 León | 2024/9/10 | BLUE JAY 2024 | --- |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 2024/8/31 | EXCITE (Exoplanet Climate Infrared Telescope) | 10 h 13 m |
 Guelmim | 2024/8/7 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT N258TH | 2 h 15 m |
| Cross City (FL) | 2024/6/27 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 645 | 64 d 12 h |
| Guelmim | 2024/8/8 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 700 | 22 d 10 h |
 Taiki | 2024/8/3 | BIOPAUSE PROJECT ATMOSPHERIC SAMPLER | 3 h |
| Hurley (SD) | 2024/8/28 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 704 | 26 h |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 2024/8/28 | HASP 2.0 (High Altitude Student Platform 2.0) | 6 h 35 m |
| Cross City (FL) | 2024/6/25 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 643 | 63 d 20 h |
| Guelmim | 2024/8/7 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 698 | 20 d 23 h |
| Avon Park (FL) | 2024/6/22 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 641 | 63 d 16 h |
| Santa Cruz County (CA) | 2024/8/21 | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | 11 h 20 m |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 2024/8/22 | SALTER TEST FLIGHT | 5 h 30 m |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 2024/8/21 | TINMAN (ThermalIzed Neutron MeAsuremeNt experiment) | 6 h 10 m |
| Taiki | 2024/8/21 | HIGHPER (High-altitude Propeller Evaluation Research) | ~ 2 h |
| Cross City (FL) | 2024/6/25 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 642 | 38 d 13 h |
| Roswell (NM) | 2024/8/15 | SCEYE- STRATOSPHERIC AIRSHIP | 29 h |
| Page (AZ) | 2024/8/12 | TECHRISE STUDENT CHALLENGE | 5 h 40 m |
| Taiki | 2024/7/4 | RERA #4 (Rubber balloon Experiment for Reentry capsule with thin-type Aeroshell) | ~ 2 h |
| Taiki | 2024/7/25 | HIGH-PRECISION VERIFICATION OF GENERAL RELATIVITY BY LASER FREQUENCY COMPARISON | 1 h |
| Hurley (SD) | 2024/7/16 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 697 | 2 d 3 h |
 ESRANGE | 2024/7/13 | BIG60 + BOOMS | 3 d 2 h |
| ESRANGE | 2024/7/10 | SUNRISE III | 6 d 15 h |
| ESRANGE | 2024/7/9 | XL-CALIBUR | 5 d 20 h |
| Roswell (NM) | 2024/6/3 | SCEYE- STRATOSPHERIC AIRSHIP | 17 h 20 m |
| Cross City (FL) | 2024/6/25 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 644 | 4 d 14 h |
| ESRANGE | 2024/5/28 | HELIX (High Energy Light Isotope eXperiment) | 6 d 8 h 27 m |
| ESRANGE | 2024/6/26 | ATMOSFER | 11 h |
| ESRANGE | 2024/6/22 | TRANSAT | 3 d 19 h |
| Hurley (SD) | 2024/6/7 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 688 | 13 d 11 h |
| Santa Cruz County (CA) | 2024/6/19 | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | 8 h 40 m |
 Guam, Mariana Islands | 2024/6/10 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 694 | 4 d |
| Guam, Mariana Islands | 2024/6/10 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 695 | 4 d |
| ESRANGE | 2024/6/12 | SAPHERALLER | ~ 5 h |
| Hurley (SD) | 2024/5/1 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 685 | 46 h |
| Spaceport Tucson (AZ) | 2024/5/22 | SCOUT-1 PARAGLIDER TEST | 2 h |
