In this edition of the UpTech report, host Alexander Ferguson meets with Rema Matevosyan, the CEO of Near Space Labs, to discuss her Earth imaging company. In a single day, Near Space Labs can deploy up to four Swifty balloons on a flight to the stratosphere where they capture images of Earth from an altitude of 60,000 to 85,000 feet. The Swifty is not just a weather balloon though. There is so much technology under the surface of this sophisticated stratospheric robot.

In the insurance industry, its high-resolution imagery can be used to complete post-disaster claims and underwriting assessments. In addition, organizations can use stratospheric imagery to track the effects of climate change including sea level rise, forest fires, and so much more. It’s even possible to use the Swifty to monitor urban sprawl and plan ahead for development.

There are several exciting use cases for a weather balloon flight to the stratosphere, and in this episode, we’re going to learn about all of them.