Canarias Stratoport hosts Europe’s first simultaneous flight by a stratospheric balloon and a HAPS

Canarias Stratoport for HAPS&UAS, a strategic facility at Fuerteventura Technology Park, which is managed by Fuerteventura Island Council, has hosted Europe’s first simultaneous flight by a stratospheric balloon (HAB) and a high-altitude platform (HAPS), in an operation coordinated with Telespazio Ibérica.

The German group TAO (Trans Atmospheric Operations) conducted its first stratospheric operation from Canarias Stratoport for HAPS&UAS, launching a balloon that reached an altitude of 25,000 metres.

In the following days, a joint operation was carried out involving TAO Group’s stratospheric balloon and Space42’s APUSNEO 18 platform. Both were operated by CATEC (Advanced Centre for Aerospace Technologies), and their simultaneous, coordinated flight marked a first for Europe.

Lola García, president of Fuerteventura Island Council, highlighted the capabilities of the ISSEC Centre and Canarias Stratoport for HAPS&UAS to carry out public-service missions using unmanned aircraft systems and high-altitude platforms. She said this demonstrated Technology Park’s role as a driving force.

Sergio Díaz, manager of Fuerteventura Technology Park, said: “These milestones strengthen the position of Fuerteventura’s Canarias Stratoport for HAPS&UAS as a strategic facility for the testing, integration and validation of advanced aerospace technologies. They also highlight our country’s potential to host and develop highly complex stratospheric missions, consolidating Fuerteventura’s position as a leading location in the aerospace sector.”

Carlos Fernández de la Peña, chief executive of Telespazio Ibérica, said: “This new milestone shows that Spain is developing increasingly advanced capabilities to integrate stratospheric platforms into the surveillance and protection of its territory. The aim is to go beyond technology demonstrations and combine stratospheric, terrestrial and space-based resources to obtain useful information that helps anticipate, monitor and manage forest fires. Each campaign brings us closer to operational services that can improve emergency response and protect people and the territory.”

Fuerteventura strengthens its capabilities for future stratospheric operations

TAO Group’s stratospheric balloon flight took place in the early hours of Sunday 4 October and lasted approximately two and a half hours. Electro-optical and infrared cameras were used during the mission to capture images, which were transmitted directly to Fuerteventura Technology Park’s GIC (Geo Information Center).

The subsequent simultaneous operation tested coordination between the platforms. Both took off in the early hours of Wednesday 7 October. Space42’s HAPS took off at around 00:20 Canary Islands time. Once it had reached the designated position and safety conditions had been verified, TAO’s free-flying balloon took off at around 01:10, with the necessary distance maintained between the two platforms.

During take-off and the subsequent stages of the flight, the teams from both companies remained in constant communication and closely coordinated to ensure a swift and effective response to any potential incident.

The campaign was made possible through coordination between Fuerteventura Technology Park, the Telespazio Ibérica-Pegasus Aero Group joint venture, TAO Group and Space42, the Advanced Centre for Aerospace Technologies (CATEC), and the organisations and entities involved in the operations. These included the State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA), ENAIRE, SAERCO and AENA.

About ISSEC and Fuerteventura Technology Park

The operation is part of ISSEC, a project within Canarias Geo Innovation 2030, which aims to create innovative solutions using aeronautical and aerospace platforms and technologies in areas such as security, emergencies, biodiversity and other public services.

The project is managed by Fuerteventura Technology Park, an entity under Fuerteventura Island Council. Its activities take place mainly at the ISSEC Centre and Canarias Stratoport for HAPS&UAS, facilities designed to support the testing, demonstration and validation of advanced technological solutions under real operating conditions.

The initiative is part of the “Biodiversity” project, funded by regional government funds provided by the Canary Islands Government, as well as European NextGenerationEU funds through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (MRR), under Component 17 of the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR).

Telespazio Ibérica is the Spanish subsidiary of Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo and Thales and one of the world’s leading satellite-services operators. The company is a leader in Spain in geoinformation and satellite navigation, with 40 years of experience in these fields. It is also at the forefront of other sectors, from the design and development of space systems to the management of launch services and in-orbit satellite control. Its work also spans Earth observation, communications, navigation and satellite tracking, as well as scientific programmes, with a strong focus on bringing these services to citizens.