Purpose of the flight and payload description
This was the maiden flight of a stratospheric airship platform designed for high-altitude Earth observation, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The vehicle was developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), based in Agra, India, under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The airship was launched carrying an instrumental payload intended to validate the performance of the platform's core systems at stratospheric altitudes. Among the systems tested were the envelope pressure control mechanism and an emergency deflation system, both of which were activated as part of the planned test sequence. Telemetry data from onboard sensors was received throughout the flight and will be used to construct high-fidelity simulation models to support future high-altitude airship operations.
Following completion of the flight, the system was successfully recovered for post-flight analysis.
Details of the balloon flight
Balloon launched on: 5/3/2025
Launch site: Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh, India
Balloon launched by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Stratospheric Airship
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 5/3/2025
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 1 h
External references
- DRDO conducts maiden flight trials of Stratospheric Airship Platform in MP The Times of India, 05 May 2025
Images of the mission
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