OLNEY, Ill. (Oct. 13, 2026) – Olney, Illinois-based Aerostratospheric is advancing research and development on its xAirship-S prototype, work supported in part by the grant Hello Skip awarded Aerostratospheric in September 2026 through its business instant grants.

The xAirship-S is Aerostratospheric's smaller airship platform, a fraction of the size of the xAirship. It is designed as a custom helium-filled silver blimp envelope paired with stabilized thrust vectoring for intuitive control. The xAirship-S is designed to operate at slow, stable speeds at low altitudes (under 400 feet above ground) and is intended primarily for atmospheric observation, scientific monitoring, and research. It will be custom assembled in Olney, Illinois, and is designed as a smaller first step toward Aerostratospheric's larger xAirship concept.

"We received the grant, and I spoke with Ryder from Hello Skip to let him know how thankful Aerostratospheric was and how the funding directly supports our mission," said Jeremy David Higgs, President of Aerostratospheric.

Hello Skip is a platform that helps founders and small business owners find funding and grow their businesses. More at https://www.helloskip.com/ Hello Skip does not endorse Aerostratospheric's products or research.

Aerostratospheric's xAirship-S will be revealed at the High Altitude Science Summit on March 13, 2027, from 10 AM to 2 PM CT at Olney City Park in Olney, Illinois. Summit attendees will be the first to see it in person, afloat on display at the summit. Tickets and how to book: https://midwestsds.com/summit.html#how

The xAirship-S is a prototype in development and is not offered for sale. Specifications, images, and capabilities are preliminary and subject to change. Product details: https://midwestsds.com/xprototypes.html#xairship-s. Researchers, educators, and partners interested in data collaboration can reach Aerostratospheric at [email protected].

Envelope by Windreiter, Germany.

*The High Altitude Science Summit is produced by Aerostratospheric.

About Aerostratospheric
Olney, Illinois-based Aerostratospheric designs, builds, and flies lightweight high-altitude payload science platforms and publishes open atmospheric data for research, education, and public use. Science flights are conducted under FAA Part 101. Corporate office: 801 S. West Street, Suite 101, Olney, IL 62450. Launch operations and the ground weather station: Casey, Illinois. Web: https://www.aerostratospheric.com/

Media contact
Aerostratospheric
Jeremy David Higgs
[email protected]
(603) 600-AERO
https://www.aerostratospheric.com
Olney, Illinois

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