Meteomatics unveils the Meteoglider, a high-altitude weather data revolution
On March 20, 2025, Swiss weather intelligence company Meteomatics announced the launch of the Meteoglider – a new type of system for the collection of high-altitude meteorological data.
It is a new take on the well-proven concept of the radiosonde, a data-collection device that is launched to the upper reaches of the atmosphere and the stratosphere attached to a weather balloon.
The Meteoglider follows the same concept, but instead it is shaped as a small aircraft which is able to glide down to a specific point on the ground thanks to the guidance provided by a GPS set.
Meteogliders are made of foam and are extremely light, weighing only 250 grams. It takes about 25 minutes for a Meteoglider to return to the ground from its maximum altitude of 110,000 feet. The glider achieves speeds of nearly 460 feet (140 meters) per second in its descent.
The capability of returning with precision to the ground so that it can be reused represents a significant enhancement over traditional radiosondes.
According to Meteomatics, out of 600,000 radiosondes launched annually in the world, just 20% are recovered and less than 1% can be reused after landing.
In addition to the cost benefits, the fact that Meteogliders can be recovered and reused up to 50 times also delivers an environmental benefit, since most traditional radiosondes are lost in nature, with debris scattering wherever they impact the ground.
The Meteoglider technology was developed by R2Home, another Swiss-based startup which Meteomatics acquired in November 2024, after having closed a $22 million Series C round. The post Meteomatics unveils the Meteoglider, a high-altitude weather data revolution appeared first on AeroTime.
On March 20, 2025, Swiss weather intelligence company Meteomatics announced the launch of the Meteoglider – a new…
The post Meteomatics unveils the Meteoglider, a high-altitude weather data revolution appeared first on AeroTime.
