Aerospace Venture Spotlight: Kea Aerospace

Kea Aerospace is creating sustainable aerospace technology for the benefit of people and planet. The high-altitude flight company is on a mission to create insights from the stratosphere that will improve life on our planet.

Among the boundary-pushing team led by CEO Mark Rocket are EHF Fellows, Philipp Sueltrop, Chief Technology Officer and Daniel Price, Chief Scientist. They are passionate about providing high-resolution aerial imagery at an increased frequency for applications such as environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, disaster management and maritime domain awareness. 

EHF Fellows Philipp Sueltrop and Daniel Price

Philipp’s experience at the German Aerospace Centre and his PHD in Rocket Science have made him ideally placed to lead Kea Aerospace’s technical team to design and operate its stratospheric aircraft. Daniel draws on his earth science background and extensive remote sensing experience to advise how Kea’s high-altitude solar-powered aircraft can be used for earth observation to advance knowledge of the earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere.

Since its launch in 2018 the company has achieved numerous milestones such as recording the longest known flight for an unmanned aircraft in New Zealand in December 2021, to the unveiling of the ‘Kea Atmos Mk1’ in September 2022 - New Zealand’s first solar-powered stratospheric aircraft, which began testing in March 2023.

Kea Atmos MK1

Today the Kea Aerospace team has completed over 250 aircraft flight tests, operating from a range of locations, including from Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre at Kaitorete in the South Island. This multi-use facility, a partnership between the New Zealand Government and the indigenous people of Kaitorete –Wairewa Rūnanga and Te Taumutu Rūnanga, provides the ideal launchpad and testing space for the Kea team, while also strengthening the aerospace industry in the Canterbury region. 

Philipp and Daniel are shaping the evolution of stratospheric flight that will enable the collection of high-value data: A game-changer for monitoring and understanding environmental health, 65,000 ft from the earth.

For more information, visit:

Kea Aerospace https://www.keaaerospace.com/ 

Tāwhai National Aerospace Centre https://tawhaki.co.nz/tawhaki-national-aerospace-centre/