UAS Flight Test
Rapid Qualification
for a Single Stratospheric Payload
Qualify one sensor or subsystem — an EO/IR camera, a datalink radio, a power board — at 80,000–100,000 ft in the environment it will actually operate in. Firm-fixed price. Hardware back in 72 hours. US-based, US-person operations.
Overview
The Flight Qualification Service for UAS payloads is the fast, low-cost way to prove one stratospheric-destined subsystem before it's integrated onto a HAPS, HALE, or high-altitude balloon platform. A single FQS flight, focused on a single payload — RF propagation for a datalink, thermal behavior of an EO/IR focal plane, cold endurance of a power system — in real near-space conditions a thermovac chamber can't reproduce. Firm-fixed at $3,400/lb plus a Mission Access Fee (2 lb minimum).
We qualify the payload, not the platform.The balloon carries your payload gondola to altitude; it doesn't fly your airframe. If you need to validate aerodynamics or flight dynamics, that's a different test. If you need to know your sensor survives and performs at altitude — before it rides a multi-million-dollar aircraft — this is it.
Flight Test Specs
- Payload
- 2–6 lb (6 lb FAA limit)
- Altitude
- 80,000–100,000 ft
- Duration
- 2–3 hours
- Data
- Onboard logging, post-flight download
- Recovery
- 99%+ recovery rate
- Turnaround
- Hardware returned within 72 hours
- Pricing
- $3,400/lb + Mission Access Fee
Ideal For
EO/IR & imaging payload validation
RF / SATCOM datalink propagation at altitude
Power & thermal endurance in the cold
Mesh radio / comms-relay performance
What's Included
Mission Package with environmental characterization
Custom mounting fixtures designed and fabricated
Complete FAA coordination and airspace clearances
Professional launch, tracking, and recovery operations
Hardware returned within 72 hours of landing
5 hours consulting included
Sensitive Payload handling available — data segregation and access controls