Insight
From Near Space
Mission
Develop and deploy the Stratospheric Airborne Comprehensive Observing System (SACOS).
Vision
A modern global observatory of distributed observation nodes supporting wildfire prediction, glacial monitoring, severe storm research and forecasting, and solar radiation modification research.
Our Origins
We live at the bottom of an ocean of air. We live, breathe, and fly in the troposphere, where the weather occurs. But above that, the interplay of chemistry, radiation, and dynamics in the stratosphere controls much of what happens on Earth's surface.
Iris Aero was created to unlock the unique advantages of the stratosphere for Earth observation. The company combines long-endurance solar-electric aircraft, advanced sensors, and AI-driven analytics to provide persistent environmental intelligence at a scale and resolution not achievable from space or conventional aircraft. Our mission is to turn data into foresight, enabling better decisions for a changing world.
About Us
Addressing Global Concerns
Wildfires
Predicting and detecting wildfires
Wildfires consume millions of acres each year and cost the US economy over $800 billion each year.
A combination of active sensors (lidars and radars) with hyperspectral sensors can determine all the variables to control fire initiation and propagation like terrain, weather, and fuel load.
Ice Sheets
Understanding the fate of the Antarctic ice shelves
Glaciers and ice sheets control sea level rise, and understanding the mechanisms that control them is essential to coastal forecasts.
Geophysicists, glaciologists, mechanicians, and geodesists who study the interactions between the climate, the cryosphere, and the solid earth using a combination of geodetic observations—primarily interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR)—and physical models.
Solar Radiation Modification
Safely reversing global warming
Geoengineering is the study of ways to ameliorate global warming by increasing the albedo (reflectance) of the planet. A solid understanding of the chemistry, radiation, and dynamics of the stratosphere is essential before starting large-scale experiments
We are studying both the science behind aerosol injection and the engineering behind doing it at scale.
For decades, scientists and engineers have envisioned solar-powered aircraft capable of operating in the stratosphere for weeks to months. Advances in high-efficiency solar cells, lightweight materials, and next-generation batteries are making that vision possible. At Iris, we are developing the Stratospheric Airborne Comprehensive Observation System (SACOS), an ultra-light, autonomous, all-electric aircraft designed for persistent stratospheric operations. Flying above weather, smoke, and air traffic while remaining close enough for high-resolution imaging, SACOS can maintain station over areas of interest for extended periods, providing a unique vantage point for continuous Earth observation and a wide range of applications.
Dawn One
A 2020 MIT capstone design class developed numerical optimization models culminating in the Dawn One technology demonstrator, built and flown in 2022. The creation of Iris in 2025 provided a dedicated entity focused on the technology and missions of stratospheric flight. Today we are moving to full system demonstrations and towards operational deployment.
SACOS
Daedalus, 1988
A World-Class Collaboration & Partnership
Iris Aero was founded by aerospace innovator Dr. John Langford and atmospheric scientist Dr. James Anderson, whose decades-long collaboration has advanced both flight technology and Earth science. Together, they recognized the opportunity to leverage recent breakthroughs in solar power, lightweight structures, batteries, and sensing technologies to create a persistent stratospheric observation platform. We are now developing SACOS to provide unprecedented environmental awareness and quantitative risk forecasting from near space.