A record-breaking stratospheric balloon mission was successfully completed last week, logging 223 days in flight. Designed and manufactured by Raven Aerostar, the Loon balloon circumnavigated the globe, spending most of its time testing navigational algorithms over a defined area. This flight broke the program’s previous flight record of 198 days.
Loon’s stratospheric balloons are created by Raven Aerostar in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Raven Aerostar is a world leader in the design, manufacture, integration, and operation of stratospheric balloons and airships for near-space applications. They are used to solve aerospace and defense challenges, including scientific research, persistent situational awareness, communications, and more.
“Leveraging our decades of stratospheric balloon expertise, Raven Aerostar remains fully dedicated to designing and manufacturing the highest quality balloon platforms that are able to meet mission duration objectives and solve our customers’ great challenges. This achievement is a testament to all the hard work, dedication, and collaboration that our team has put in over the years. We look forward to raising the bar even further for what’s possible in the stratosphere."
— Joe Beck, Program Manager
For more details about this record-breaking flight, read more from Loon.