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.
In a statement, Arnaud Longobardi, airline pilot and co-founder of Stratoflight, said: "Stratoflight provides passengers with multiple exceptional experiences: the ascent to space that feels like a hot-air balloon flight, stepping out on to the viewing balcony, moving into space like an astronaut, and the landing, similar to free flight in a paraglider; all this in a capsule similar to a spacecraft.”
Engineers at Expleo’s innovation laboratory have had to consider numerous parameters to ensure a safe and immersive experience in a capsule with large glass areas in its structure, including structural sizing, interior and exterior panels, design of onboard electronics, safety, and aerodynamics.
The cockpit will be made of bio-sourced, recycled or recyclable materials and will be able to fly at speeds of up to 140km/h on the return to Earth, which will be made under a piloted paraglider.
"Making space accessible to all, while respecting the environment, is at the heart of what we believe in at Expleo,” said Frédérique Rebout, head of space, Expleo. “Our teams of space engineers have designed this capsule with this dual objective in mind. And we intend to go further. We are currently investigating the possibility of making the capsule out of new green composite materials based on bamboo, which would further reduce its carbon footprint.”
The programme is being developed with several European partners, including Spartan Space who will develop the pressure suit.
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