Reusable Radiosonde Technology Aims to Reduce Environmental and Economic Costs
Meteomatics, a global weather intelligence company, has announced the launch of the Meteoglider, a reusable alternative to traditional radiosondes carried by weather balloons. The announcement follows the company’s acquisition of R2Home, a firm specializing in reusable radiosonde technology. The Meteoglider provides a sustainable and cost-effective solution by enabling the recovery and reuse of radiosondes, which are critical tools in atmospheric data collection.
Addressing a Longstanding Environmental Challenge
For nearly a century, weather balloons have played a key role in meteorology, carrying radiosondes to high altitudes to collect essential atmospheric data. Each year, approximately 600,000 radiosondes are deployed worldwide, yet only 20% are recovered, and less than 1% are reused. Most are lost in remote areas, leading to environmental waste and high replacement costs.
“The Meteoglider’s ability to reuse these radiosondes at scale for the first time is a game changer in the weather industry and will open up numerous possibilities for the future of weather forecasting,” said Martin Fengler, CEO of Meteomatics.
How the Meteoglider Works
The Meteoglider is a lightweight foam glider equipped with a radiosonde and a sophisticated guidance system. Unlike conventional radiosondes that drift away and are rarely recovered, the Meteoglider returns to a designated GPS location or the launch site. This process takes as little as 25 minutes, traveling at speeds of over 450 feet per second. The reusable design extends the operational life of a radiosonde up to 50 times, significantly reducing waste and costs.
By capturing data not only during ascent but also on descent, the Meteoglider provides additional insights into atmospheric conditions. It has already achieved a record-breaking altitude of over 110,000 feet, the highest known for a glider flight.
Expansion of Meteomatics’ Weather Intelligence Portfolio
The launch of the Meteoglider expands Meteomatics’ portfolio of weather monitoring technologies, complementing its Meteodrones. While Meteodrones fly up to 20,000 feet to enhance local weather forecasting, the Meteoglider captures high-altitude atmospheric data traditionally gathered by weather balloons.
“The Meteoglider paves the way for the recovery and reuse of radiosondes, towards greater efficiency and less waste for atmospheric measurement activity that’s essential to the entire meteorology chain– from risk warning to climatology,” said Bruno Piguet, Head of the High-Altitude Observation, Meteo-France.
The Future of Reusable Radiosondes
Following Meteomatics’ acquisition of R2Home, the Meteoglider technology will continue to evolve under the leadership of Yohan Hadji, R2Home’s founder. Hadji will oversee the further development and manufacturing of the Meteoglider, ensuring its continued innovation and scalability for weather services and businesses worldwide.
As companies and governments seek more sustainable solutions for weather monitoring, the Meteoglider represents a significant step toward reducing the environmental impact of atmospheric data collection. By enabling large-scale reuse of radiosondes, Meteomatics is setting a new standard for efficiency and sustainability in meteorology.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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