High-altitude aircraft above Earth viewed from below

High-altitude aircraft above Earth, rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise on mobile

BEYOND CONVENTIONAL FLIGHT

RISE
ABOVE.

Solar-powered aircraft designed for extended operation in the stratosphere. Engineered at Kennedy Space Center with a focus on energy, autonomy, and endurance.

OUR DIRECTION

Engineering for
the space between.

Stage 0 is developing high-altitude, solar-powered aircraft intended to operate above 20 kilometers. At that height, long-lasting airborne platforms could extend the reach of observation, research, and communications without relying on conventional fuel.

Its approach begins with a demanding challenge: collect energy by day, preserve enough for the night, and make every part of the aircraft contribute to efficient, autonomous flight. The work brings airframes, solar power, avionics, and software into one integrated system.

WHY PERSISTENCE MATTERS

Information from
a higher perspective.

Stage 0 identifies disaster and wildfire monitoring among the initial uses for its aircraft, with future possibilities in atmospheric research and communications relay. Longer duration aloft could allow repeat observations rather than isolated snapshots.

COMPANY

BUILDING WHAT
COMES NEXT.

OUR PROCESS

Ambition is the start.
Evidence is the work.

Stage 0 describes an approach that begins by questioning requirements and removing what is unnecessary before optimizing the design. The team then works to shorten development cycles and automate repeatable work, allowing engineering lessons to inform the next prototype for scaled production.

LOCATION

GROUND ZERO.
LOOKING UP.

Stage 0 operates from the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center on Florida’s Space Coast. The company describes the location as an important base for designing, prototyping, and testing solar-powered high-altitude aircraft.

Aerial view of an airfield runway near Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Made for
the frontier.

FLORIDA / SPACE COAST

OUR BASEMERRITT ISLAND / FLORIDA

A place built
for aerospace.

Kennedy Space Center’s Launch and Landing Facility is known for its long runway and aviation infrastructure. Stage 0 identifies the approximately 4,500-meter runway, nearby hangars, and surrounding aerospace environment as advantages for developing and evaluating new aircraft concepts.

Working on the Space Coast places aircraft engineering, systems integration, and flight testing within a community shaped by decades of space and aviation development. Stage 0 describes this setting as supporting rapid movement between ground studies, prototypes, and flight research.

CONTACT.

Start a conversation with Stage 0.

OFFICIAL INQUIRIES admin@stage0.com

For platform and sales, payload integration, research partnerships, engineering collaboration, and careers.

DIRECT YOUR INQUIRY

01Payload integrationInstruments and technical requirements

02Research & engineeringPartnerships and collaboration

03CareersOpportunities to join the team

LOCATION / KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

Stage 0Bldg J6-2466
Shuttle Landing Facility
Kennedy SP CT FL 32899

RISEABOVE.

Engineering forthe space between.

Information froma higher perspective.

CONTACT.

RISE
ABOVE.

Engineering for
the space between.

Information from
a higher perspective.