{
  "id": 2268386,
  "title": "How Red Balloon Aerospace is building India’s near-space infrastructure",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/how-red-balloon-aerospace-is-building-indias-near-space-infrastructure",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-21T01:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "YourStory",
    "slug": "yourstory",
    "url": "https://yourstory.com/2026/08/red-balloon-aerospace-building-india-near-space-infrastructure"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "How Red Balloon Aerospace is building India’s near-space infrastructure\n\nBefore launching a payload into space, it must undergo testing in near-space conditions. However, access to such facilities is limited in India, according to CVS Kiran. Kiran, who spent years developing space vehicles designed to reach orbit, observed that the few available facilities are oversubscribed with lengthy waiting lists that can extend development timelines. As a former scientist at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and former VP at Skyroot Aerospace, Kiran identified a gap in the market. \"Between where aircrafts end and satellites begin lies an entire domain that is largely unused, close enough to be affordable, and high enough to be persistent,\" he noted. This realization led him to co-found Red Balloon Aerospace in 2025. Located in Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, the space technology startup is constructing platforms for what it perceives as the near-space infrastructure layer, utilizing stratospheric airships, aerostats, and super-pressure balloons. Kiran, the CEO, emphasized that Red Balloon Aerospace aims to ensure India's ownership, operation, and leadership in the near-space domain through indigenous platforms, deep technology engineering, and a long-term vision for near-space as national infrastructure.",
  "summary": "Founded by former Skyroot Aerospace executive CVS Kiran, the spacetech startup is developing platforms for communications, disaster response, remote connectivity, and other near-space applications.",
  "key_points": [
    "Red Balloon Aerospace aims to build India's near-space infrastructure.",
    "CEO CVS Kiran identified market gap in near-space facilities.",
    "Company constructing stratospheric airships and super-pressure balloons."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Red Balloon Aerospace's near-space infrastructure push aims to secure India's leadership in the domain, filling a gap in accessible testing facilities and bridging the gap between aircraft and satellite operations.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}