How to record the fire as soon as it starts so that emergency services can be on the scene as soon as possible? The answer to this question is provided by the young Czech company Stratosyst with its stratospheric pseudo-satellites called HAPS (High-altitude Pseudo-satellite). As their name suggests, they are designed for operations in the stratosphere, roughly 18 to 20 km above the Earth’s surface. The indisputable advantage of HAPS over satellites that have to orbit the Earth is that they maintain a position over a chosen location for a long time.

The unique HAPS pseudo-satellites, which are a technological hybrid of satellites and aircraft, are not only used to detect fires and support firefighting. They offer a wide range of applications in a variety of fields, from agriculture to weather forecasting and astronomical observations.

Currently, Stratosyst is involved in the EDF – EuroHAPS project, where it is working with several other European countries to develop HAPS platforms, and is also developing a camera system modified for the stratospheric environment in collaboration with VZLU and other partners. Last but not least, Stratosyst provides testing and experiments in the stratospheric environment on a multifunctional balloon platform called Stratoscout.