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
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 17-Sep-2026 - 11:36:50pm)
| Launched from | Date | Time aloft and status | Payload or experiment | Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hurley (SD) | 5/13/26 | calculando... | THUNDERHEAD HBAL 814 | Show in map if available |
| Hurley (SD) | 6/15/26 | calculando... | THUNDERHEAD HBAL 790 | Show in map if available |
| Hurley (SD) | 9/15/26 | calculando... | THUNDERHEAD HBAL 815 | Show in map if available |
Last completed balloon flights (updated 17-Sep-2026 - 11:36:50pm)
| Launch base | Date | Experiment | Flight duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 2026/9/2 | HASP 2026 (High Altitude Student Platform 2.0) | 6 h 45 m |
| Hurley (SD) | 2026/6/29 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 820 | 78 d |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 2026/9/13 | BOOP (Balloon Program Office, Optimization Opportunity Payload) | 4 h 30 m |
 Taiki | 2026/9/1 | BACS0 (Balloon-borne Attitude Control System 0) | 6 h 20 m |
| Minamisoma | 2026/8/6 | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | 7 h 42 m |
 Rio Hato | 2026/7/31 | STRATOLLITE | 8 d 8 h 40 m |
 TIFR Hyderabad | 2026/8/5 | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | 4 h 22 m |
| Mojave Air Center (CA) | 2026/8/26 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 834 | 3 d 4 h 21 m |
| Near Mt. Vernon (OR) | 2026/8/28 | URBAN SKY MICROBALLOON | 3 h 47 m |
| Mojave Air Center (CA) | 2026/8/25 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 833 | 4 d 3 h 10 m |
| Mojave Air Center (CA) | 2026/8/25 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 832 | 3 d 4 h 53 m |
| Mojave Air Center (CA) | 2026/8/24 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 831 | 4 d 3 h 10 m |
 ESRANGE | 2026/8/26 | KEYSTONE TV BALLET (Terahertz/Visible BALLoon ExperimenT) | 22 h 16 m |
| Mojave Air Center (CA) | 2026/8/24 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 830 | 19 h 50 m |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 2026/8/24 | CLIC (Compact Large Sensor Imaging Camera) | 4 h 20 m |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 2026/8/22 | SALTER TEST FLIGHT | 4 h 8 m |
| Taiki | 2026/8/22 | CLOVER (Cherenkov Light Observation Venture for Energetic cosmic rays with Rubber balloon) | 2 h |
| ESRANGE | 2026/8/21 | BEXUS 36 (Balloon EXperiments for University Students) | 4 h 43 m |
 Ponce (PR) | 2026/8/1 | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | 12 h |
| Hurley (SD) | 2026/6/29 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 821 | 10 d 11 h |
| Ofunato Port | 2026/7/31 | TEST FLIGHT | 1 h |
| Near Gabbs (NV) | 2026/7/23 | URBAN SKY MICROBALLOON | 3 h 16 m |
| Near Yucca (AZ) | 2026/7/21 | URBAN SKY MICROBALLOON | 4 h 58 m |
| Taiki | 2026/7/2 | RERA #7 (Rubber balloon Experiment for Reentry capsule with thin-type Aeroshell) | 2 h |
| Near Amboy (CA) | 2026/7/17 | URBAN SKY MICROBALLOON | 5 h 13 m |
| Palestine (TX) | 2026/7/15 | CLIC (Compact Large Sensor Imaging Camera) | 6 h 20 m |
| Artesia (NM) | 2026/7/13 | SPEED (Stratospheric Projectile Experiment of Entry Dynamics) | 4 h 15 m |
| Page (AZ) | 2026/7/1 | TECHRISE STUDENT CHALLENGE | 4 h 45 m |
| Hurley (SD) | 2026/6/25 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 817 | 4 d 10 h |
| Taiki | 2026/6/14 | VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) | 3 h 30 m |
| Kosta AB | 2026/5/19 | AURORA 26 - RAPTOR9 | 19 h |
| Kosta AB | 2026/5/19 | AURORA 26 - RAPTOR8 | 6 h 50 m |
| Kosta AB | 2026/5/19 | AURORA 26 - RAPTOR1 | 18 h 20 m |
| Dagget (CA) | 2026/4/18 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 793 - ARCANE THUNDER 2026 | 20 d 12 h |
| TIFR Hyderabad | 2026/5/29 | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | 4 h |
| TIFR Hyderabad | 2026/5/27 | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | 4 h |
| Vijayawada | 2026/5/27 | MISSION SANA | 7 h 30 m |
| Santa Fe County (NM) | 2025/9/21 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 787 | 242 d |
| Hurley (SD) | 2026/5/20 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 816 | 3 d 3 h 40 m |
| Spaceport Tucson (AZ) | 2026/5/21 | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | 3 h |
| Spaceport Tucson (AZ) | 2026/4/8 | FAWKES-B MISSION | 2 h 35 m |
| Spaceport Tucson (AZ) | 2026/4/8 | FAWKES-A MISSION | 3 h 32 m |
| Roswell (NM) | 2026/3/25 | SCEYE- STRATOSPHERIC PLATFORM SE2 | 12 d |
| Page (AZ) | 2026/3/17 | STRATOLLITE - DORADO MISSION | 39 d |
| Kekaha (HI) | 2026/4/21 | LIGHTNING FLIGHT 806 | 9 h 40 m |
| Fort Collins (CO) | 2026/4/2 | URBAN SKY MICROBALLOON | 3 h 10 m |
| Carthage (MS) | 2026/3/26 | URBAN SKY MICROBALLOON | 4 h 40 m |
| Philadelphia (MI) | 2026/3/26 | URBAN SKY MICROBALLOON | 4 h 47 m |
| Center Ridge (MS) | 2026/3/26 | URBAN SKY MICROBALLOON | 3 h 10 m |
| TIFR Hyderabad | 2026/3/16 | ALCHEMY | 2 h 40 m |
