Near Space Labs, a leader in stratospheric remote sensing, today reached a historic milestone with the nationwide deployment of its Swift robots across the United States. This achievement establishes the first network of stratospheric robots delivering ultra-high-resolution aerial imagery across the continental US, now with enhanced 7cm resolution capabilities that match or exceed traditional aerial survey quality.
The Swift, Near Space Labs' proprietary zero-emission robot, captures up to 1,000 square kilometers of imagery per flight—equivalent to New York City's five boroughs. Operating at altitudes between 60,000 and 85,000 feet, this compact 12-pound autonomous system provides insurance companies, urban planners, and government agencies with unprecedented access to precisely detailed, frequently updated aerial imagery at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods.
Near Space Labs' nationwide expansion and imaging improvements come at a critical moment for the U.S. home insurance industry in particular, which faced its worst crisis in decades in 2023 with net combined ratios exceeding 110 percent and losses surging past $101 billion. These results are largely driven by increasingly frequent and severe weather events—from devastating hurricanes and tornadoes to catastrophic wildfires. Today, major carriers are retreating from high-risk states like Florida, California, and Texas, creating a cascade of consequences that threatens both homeownership and regional economies. The root of this crisis lies in the growing gap between these mounting climate risks and insurers' ability to accurately assess them.
"Many insurance companies are still relying on aerial data collection methods from the 1950s to assess 2024's climate risks," said Rema Matevosyan, CEO of Near Space Labs. "When you consider that only six percent of the $250 billion in losses from Hurricane Helene may be covered by insurance, it becomes clear that outdated risk assessment methods are creating a domino effect: poor data leads to inadequate policy pricing, which leads to carrier losses, which ultimately forces insurers to abandon entire markets—leaving homeowners stranded and unable to secure mortgages."
Near Space Labs' coast-to-coast deployment of the highest quality imaging capabilities directly addresses this challenge by providing insurance carriers with detailed, current property data every quarter. This unprecedented frequency of updates enables insurers to monitor changing conditions, assess risks more accurately, and price policies appropriately—potentially enabling them to remain in or return to markets they previously abandoned.
About Near Space Labs
Near Space Labs is a leader in advanced Earth observation solutions, providing high-resolution, frequently updated aerial imagery for applications from insurance to urban planning. Near Space Labs' proprietary stratospheric balloon technology delivers unmatched 7cm resolution imagery at a fraction of the cost and environmental impact of traditional methods. The company's solutions enable more efficient, data-driven decision-making across industries, revolutionizing how organizations monitor and respond to our changing world. Founded in 2017 and based in Brooklyn, NY, Near Space Labs has raised $14.5 million to date. For more information about Near Space Labs, please visit https://nearspacelabs.com/.
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