Urban Sky is redefining overhead wildfire monitoring with its revolutionary Microballoon™ system—an ultra-lightweight, rapidly deployable, and cost-effective stratospheric balloon designed for persistent Earth observation. Operating at approximately 60,000 feet—well above commercial air traffic and firefighting aircraft—Microballoons occupy a unique operational layer between drones and satellites, providing real-time, high-resolution imagery without interfering with active airspace or ground operations.

Unlike drones or manned aircraft that must navigate restricted, smoke-obscured airspace during wildfires, or satellites that lack the resolution and revisit frequency needed for tactical response, Microballoons deliver a new tier of capability. These balloons are engineered for persistence and agility, enabling them to loiter over fire zones and collect critical data throughout an incident's progression.

To meet the urgent need for actionable wildfire intelligence, Urban Sky is developing Hot Spot—a lightweight Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) imaging system purpose-built for the stratosphere. Funded by NASA and the U.S. Air Force, the Hot Spot system weighs under six pounds and can be launched by a single operator in under ten minutes. Once airborne, it delivers real-time, wide-area wildfire detection and monitoring—empowering incident commanders with enhanced situational awareness while keeping the sky clear for suppression aircraft.

With cutting-edge technology, rapid response capability, and unmatched aerial coverage, Urban Sky is bringing a new dimension to wildfire intelligence from the stratosphere.