HySpex Payloads Successfully Complete Key Diurnal Stratospheric Flight
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Aug 22, 2024

Sceye, an aerospace company known for its expertise in material science and High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS), has announced the successful completion of a diurnal stratospheric flight, marking an important milestone toward achieving long-duration solar-powered flights.

The HAPS, launched from Sceye's New Mexico facility on August 15th at 7:36 AM MST, landed the next day at 12:21 PM MST after successfully meeting all flight test objectives. The mission demonstrated the potential of using solar energy during the day and battery power at night, setting the stage for continuous operations over extended periods.

Onboard the HAPS were two HySpex hyperspectral imagers (HSI) provided by Norsk Elektro Optikk AS (NEO): the Mjolnir V-1240, owned by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and a customized SWIR-640 designed for methane detection. Both imagers, optimized for high-altitude performance, captured data with ground sampling distances (GSD) of 5 and 3.4 meters from an altitude of 70,000 feet, across the 400-1000nm and 1350-2500nm wavelength ranges.

"It is hard to grasp the amount of information that can be recovered from HSI, but it is safe to say that this platform is a game changer when it comes to remote sensing with natural light. From vegetation, farming, and mineral exploration to hydrocarbon leaks and surveillance," said Martin Lovoy, Research Scientist at NEO, who was part of the payload team present at the Roswell flight.

This successful stratospheric flight is the third for HySpex, significantly advancing NEO's strategy for high-altitude systems. The team now returns to Norway with extensive data that will be processed into maps for geology, hydrocarbon detection, and methane detection.

"With this flight, we hope to demonstrate our detection limit for methane gas from the stratosphere. The hyperspectral cameras from HySpex aboard the Sceye HAPS provide a superb turnkey solution for environmental monitoring, with the distinct advantage of long-duration stratospheric operations," commented Karina Strom, Research Scientist at NEO, who also participated in the Roswell flight.

HySpex continues to deliver high-quality hyperspectral data in various environmental conditions, proving the adaptability of its products. The advanced payload suite on Sceye's platform is a significant step toward real-time environmental monitoring and mapping, addressing critical global issues such as flooding, wildfires, pollution, and gas leaks.

Sceye has conducted twenty test flights to date, with two more scheduled in 2024, as the platform moves closer to commercialization.

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