For nearly a century, weather balloons carrying radiosondes have been the backbone of global weather observation, soaring up to 100,000 feet to collect critical atmospheric data. But with over 600,000 radiosondes launched annually, the majority are lost, littering remote locations and contributing to environmental waste. Enter the Meteoglider, a reusable alternative developed by Meteomatics through its acquisition of R2Home.

This innovation offers a sustainable, cost-effective approach to atmospheric data collection, poised to transform the meteorology industry. And sure, we don’t really talk about weather balloons here on TheDroneGirl.com. But as it turns out, this tech is a major breakthrough for the drone sector as well.

A smarter approach to weather data collection

The Meteoglider is a lightweight, half-pound foam glider equipped with a radiosonde and an advanced guidance system. Unlike traditional radiosondes that drift unpredictably and are rarely recovered, the Meteoglider autonomously navigates back to the launch site or a designated GPS location in as little as 25 minutes. Capable of reaching altitudes exceeding 110,000 feet, it also gathers additional atmospheric data on descent, expanding the scope of meteorological observations.

With an impressive reusability factor of up to 50 times, this sustainable solution significantly reduces the environmental impact of single-use radiosondes, which have historically been used. By retrieving and reusing radiosondes, companies and national weather services can cut costs by as much as 30% per launch site annually. That’s a potential savings of $50,000 per year per location.

“The goal isn’t to replace weather balloons but to offer businesses and national weather services a more sustainable, cost-effective way to use radiosondes and balloons,” said Dr. Martin Fengler, CEO of Meteomatics, in an interview with The Drone Girl. “The Meteoglider and balloon will work in tandem, the balloon bringing the glider and radiosonde up to the stratosphere and the glider guiding the radiosonde back to a designated location.”

This method ensures that the reliability and accuracy of radiosonde data remain intact while drastically reducing waste and long-term costs.

“In the meteorological industry, innovation is sometimes met with skepticism because the reliability and accuracy of data are essential,” Fengler said. “With the Meteoglider, you keep the advantages of radiosondes but remove challenges such as environmental costs.”

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Why the drone industry should pay attention to Meteomatics

The Meteoglider joins Meteomatics other key technology, which are autonomous weather drones, dubbed “Meteodrones.” These tools are all part of the company’s proprietary aircrafts built to gather critical atmosphere data to accurately forecast extreme weather events and shifts in everyday conditions. 

While the Meteoglider itself isn’t a traditional drone, its functionality is deeply intertwined with the broader drone ecosystem. The technology borrows heavily from autonomous flight, precise navigation and payload recovery, making it a valuable tool for any industry invested in aerial data collection. The Meteoglider and Metoodrones make for two tools that should work well together.

“While the Meteoglider collects data in the stratosphere, the Meteodrone focuses on collecting data in the rarely observed mid to lower-level atmosphere,” Fengler said. “This is an area that other weather services have historically overlooked.”

Together, the data collected from the Meteoglider and the Meteodrone give weather services and businesses a holistic view of the different levels of the atmosphere to inform much more accurate forecasts.

How Meteoglider works for real-time weather intelligence

At the heart of the Meteoglider is its onboard radiosonde, housed in the nose of the glider. This sensor continuously collects temperature, humidity, pressure and wind data, transmitting real-time information via radio to a ground receiver.

However, the true potential of the Meteoglider lies in its ability to bring radiosondes back. Unlike single-use radiosondes that must transmit all data in real-time before being lost, future iterations could store higher-quality data for retrieval upon landing.

The launch of the Meteoglider follows Meteomatics’ acquisition of R2Home, which built its own reusable radiosonde technology (which has since evolved into the Meteoglider). Since joining the Meteomatics family, the R2Home technology was able to undergo significant improvements, including a redesigned flight computer with improved glider reliability and reduced production time. In fact, before joining Meteomatics, the glider had no user interface. Still, anyone with an hour of training can operate it, allowing them to adjust where they need their radiosondes to land for reuse.

Real-world adoption and market potential

As climate change continues to fuel extreme weather events, access to accurate atmospheric data is more critical than ever.

Yet with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scaling back balloon launches in states like New York, Maine, and Alaska due to budget cuts, the need for cost-effective, independent weather data solutions has never been greater. Recognizing the potential of the Meteoglider, organizations such as MeteoSwiss, MeteoFrance and Oklahoma State University have begun integrating the technology into their atmospheric research and forecasting programs.

“Weather balloon launches are and will remain indispensable to protecting populations from extreme weather events,” Fengler said. “The Meteoglider and Meteomatics’ Meteodrones will allow businesses and weather services to continue gathering the data necessary to forecast extreme weather events and shifts in everyday conditions but at a lower environmental and economical cost.”

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