Sceye partners with NASA and USGS to fight climate change from the stratosphere

Collaborations strategic above 18,000 meters (60,000 feet) open new perspectives for traffic and climate management, earth observation and imaging, methane detection, storms and forest fires, etc. .

ROSWELL, New Mexico, October 31, 2024 October 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Sceyea leading American aerospace company specializing in high-altitude platform systems (HAPS), announced a research and development cooperation agreement with United States Geological Survey (USGS) and a Space Act agreement with NASA. The goal of these agreements is to improve imaging, monitoring and collection of climate and environmental data from the stratosphere. This partnership builds on the success of Sceye's 2024 flight program, which concluded with a significant launch on October 24, 2024, demonstrating that the platform is ready for commercialization and long-duration missions in 2025.

This collaboration makes Sceye's HAPS technology an essential partner for precise earth observation and multi-mission payload lifting. Using advanced hyperspectral imaging, Sceye will help NASA and USGS detect methane “super emitters,” monitor wildfires, storms, earthquakes and other extreme weather events. This partnership will enable real-time monitoring of essential environmental data and measurements. It will also enable Sceye to help NASA and USGS expand the range of climate data collected and strengthen forecast models.

“Our partnership with NASA and USGS relies on the potential of HAPS to remain above an area of ​​operation for extended periods of time. Unlike satellites, HAPS can do this below orbital altitude, providing a unique vantage point to address climate change and better prepare for extreme weather events,” said Mikkel Vestergaard FrandsenCEO and founder of Sceye. “We are making the stratosphere the next frontier for making important scientific advances that will help communities around the world. »

As climate change accelerates and methane emissions reach record levelsSceye's HAPS technology offers a solution to precisely detect emissions, down to the last pixel. Sceye also collaborates with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Mexico Environmental Department as part of a five-year program to detect methane emissions across the state. Sceye's final flight of the year demonstrates the platform's operational readiness, capturing essential data using onboard infrared cameras.

Sceye's HAPS are powered by solar energy captured during the day and stored in batteries to operate at night. This allows continuous flight above 18,000 m (60,000 ft), where few technologies can operate effectively.

“HAPS are a game changer for the scientific community because they can hone in on events, take high-resolution data continuously and in real time, and enable a more precise understanding of what may be happening before, during, and after a event,” said Jonathan Stockdirector of the USGS National Innovation Center.

With the final launch of the flight program for 2024, Sceye closed a successful flight year and achieved full characterization of the vehicle, including achieving the milestones of controlled relocation, full daytime flight and the ability to remain above an area of ​​operation for extended periods of time.

Focusing on commercialization and endurance in 2025, Sceye will move to testing the platform's ability to support long-duration “seasonal flights.” These missions will enable continuous monitoring during critical periods, such as wildfire season, supporting rapid response efforts with near real-time data on evolving threats.

Following fundraising C Series successful, which increased the company's pre-money valuation to $525 million, Sceye continues its mission to create solutions that change the world.

About Sceye
Founded in 2014, Sceye is an aerospace company dedicated to advancing stratospheric technology to connect citizens and protect the planet. Sceye leads the high altitude platform systems (HAPS) industry, focusing on universal connectivity, climate monitoring, natural resource management and disaster prevention.

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