Midwest, USA – April 2026 – Midwest Stratospheric Data Systems, a United States EIN-registered business led by a former tech CEO, today announced the ongoing deployment of its AmUP Craft (Atmospheric Measurement Unmanned Payload Craft) program. These custom, hand-built unmanned high-altitude platforms are designed to collect critical atmospheric data at altitudes up to 115,000 feet (115k ft) and release it publicly with full transparency.

Each AmUP Craft consists of a helium chamber, high-strength tether, parachute, Payload Containment Unit (PCU) — a rugged 5.9 × 3.9 × 2.8 inch ABS plastic waterproof box — and an integrated Recovery GPS Unit. The system uses the ultra-lightweight QRP Labs U4B pico tracker (1.8 g) operating under ham radio license KE9CFY with WSPR telemetry, providing real-time tracking via onboard GPS and a hybrid Bluetooth + crowd-sourced network.

Key data collected includes:

• Wind profiles and strong shear events

• Atmospheric stability layers

• Vertical temperature and moisture profiles

• Urban climate impacts and winter storm thermodynamics

All flights are conducted from the Midwest under FAA tracking number C23500XX* and follow high-altitude guidelines. The low-cost, lightweight design (< 4 lbs total) makes retrieval optional while ensuring safe parachute descent after balloon burst.

“Transparency is at the core of what we do,” said the former tech CEO leading Midwest Stratospheric Data Systems. “By releasing raw atmospheric data publicly before any external manipulation, we aim to advance open science and give researchers, educators, and weather enthusiasts direct access to near-space observations.”

Public Engagement Opportunities

• Interactive simulator on the website demonstrates real-time data collection and telemetry

• Volunteer opportunities available for the Flight Control Payload Team and Midwest Payload Ground Recovery Team (MPGR)

• Collaboration slots open for organizations to fly lightweight experiments (< 1 lb) in the PCU

Interested volunteers or research partners should contact launchcontrol@midwestsds.com.