Congratulations to Curtin’s Binar Space Program team at the Space Science and Technology Centre (SSTC) on the successful launch, flight and recent recovery of their latest high-altitude balloon (HAB) mission from Waroona, carrying science payload Pyromantis.

Designed and built at Curtin, Pyromantis was developed to improve bushfire forecasting by using multi-wavelength cameras to assess forest dryness and flammability. After nearly two years of development, from conceptualisation through to flight day, the mission delivered impressive results:

  • Reached an altitude of 32,935m at 10:05am (about 75 minutes after launch), recording a temperature of -2°C.
  • Recorded a minimum temperature of -17°C as it plummeted down through a cold atmospheric layer around 13km above the surface, near the tropopause and subtropical jet stream.
  • Hit a maximum velocity of 131 km/h at 9:18am while ascending through the subtropical jet stream at 13.1km altitude.

Tracked in real-time from radiosonde via BinarX ground stations and shared live online, the mission sparked strong community engagement, with support from the local Shire, schools, media, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, and Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

A special congratulations to Dr Robert Howie, Dale Giancono and Athena Galbraith for successfully capturing imagery up to 33km altitude – an exciting achievement for the Pyromantis team! The data collected will now be analysed to improve understanding of fuel loads, contributing to efforts to reduce bushfire severity. Well done to everyone involved in this mission.

Our thanks to Dr Eriita Jones, Planetary and Space Scientist, for sharing the facts and photos from this successful mission.

A large white balloon in the sky, carrying a black box at the end of rope.
The high-altitude balloon just after release, carrying the science payload ‘Pyromantis’.
A group of people with the science payload box in bushland.
Members of SSTC, Binar and the Perth Aerospace Student Team (PAST) with the recovered science payload.
An aerial shot of the land with a red line throughout showing the balloon's flight path.
The tracked path of the high-altitude balloon over the southern forests of WA.