New Delhi, May 28:
Red Balloon Aerospace on Wednesday launched the country’s first indigenous super-pressure balloon (SPB) carrying commercial payloads from seven national and international partners. SPBs are high-altitude balloons designed to maintain internal pressure higher than the surrounding atmospheric pressure, enabling them to carry payloads for extended periods.
Launched from the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Vijayawada, the SPB — named VISTA — ascended to an altitude of about 25 km.
CVS Kiran, co-founder and CEO of Red Balloon Aerospace, said, “The mission was launched to prove super-pressure balloon capability, which has never been done in India before. This involves proving the balloon’s design and the material.” While the balloon launched on Wednesday is expected to stay in the sky for 24 hours, the company ultimately aims to develop SPBs capable of staying aloft for months.
The mission is significant as SPBs offer several advantages over satellites. For instance, SPBs are much cheaper and are capable of doing all the tasks that a satellite does.