The company is using NTDefence Week, the Northern Territory's flagship defence summit in Darwin, to launch a call for Australian payload partners and to outline its technical interface and commercial roadmap in a series of exclusive Industry Engagements and Dialogues. Working with the Northern Territory Government, AALTO will hold initial bilateral discussions with selected payload developers at the NTDefence conference in April 2026, with invitations to be issued after a down-select of submissions in March.

Through these activities, AALTO aims to build collaboration with public- and private-sector stakeholders to assess feasibility studies for Zephyr-based services and to unlock funding pathways that can accelerate development of sovereign Australian capabilities in Stratospace. The company positions Stratospace as the region above conventional aircraft operating altitudes, around 60,000 feet (about 20 km) and higher, which is currently accessed only by specialised platforms such as weather balloons and experimental high-altitude systems.

Zephyr, which weighs about 75 kg and has a 25 m wingspan, uses solar radiation to power its climb, descent and long-endurance flight in the stratosphere. Still in development, the Stratocraft achieved a record 67 days of continuous flight in 2025, including operations in Australian airspace and successful testing of a connectivity payload, demonstrating its potential as a persistent platform for services such as communications and sensing.

According to AALTO, the engineering design of Zephyr allows it to withstand extreme stratospheric conditions, driving specific requirements for payloads in areas such as power consumption, environmental resilience and integration with aircraft systems. The company highlights that payloads need to operate in temperatures ranging from about minus 80 degrees Celsius to plus 60 degrees Celsius at altitudes up to 80,000 feet, while interfacing with onboard GPS/INS data and command-and-control links.

With its proximity to the equator and favourable operating conditions, northern Australia has been identified as a region that meets the criteria for the new AALTOPORT. A local base is expected to support a range of applications for Australian and regional customers, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, connectivity on demand, direct-to-device mobile services, and high-resolution imagery and mapping for civil and defence stakeholders.

AALTO says Zephyr's capabilities could be particularly useful in responding to natural disasters and monitoring the impacts of climate-related events such as drought, floods, fires and deforestation. By providing persistent coverage from the stratosphere, the platform is intended to offer a flexible, cost-effective complement to satellites and terrestrial infrastructure for both commercial operators and government agencies.

Hughes Boulnois, Chief Executive Officer at AALTO, described the initiative as a step toward building a network of Australian-developed payloads that can take advantage of Stratospace. "AALTO is at the forefront of Stratospace: a new domain of aerospace that bridges space and ground technology to deliver cutting-edge applications from near space. By kick-starting efforts to create a payload network of homegrown Australian technologies, there is potential to create significant value for commercial and government stakeholders while we explore opportunities for an operational AALTOPORT in-country," he said.

Boulnois added that the company will continue its commercial roadmap in 2026 with on-station demonstrations for customers while investing in Zephyr's technology and operations. He noted that Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific region are expected to be strategic growth markets for AALTO over the decade ahead, and said the company intends to work closely with partners such as the Northern Territory Government to "unlock Stratospace in Australia."

Stephen Forshaw, Chief Representative Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific at Airbus, said the Zephyr platform fits within Airbus's broader efforts to develop aerospace services that deliver public benefits. He pointed to Australia's vast distances as a driver for new connectivity and observation solutions that can either interoperate with satellites or deliver distinct advantages without requiring a full satellite system.

"I'm very excited about the opportunity for Australian universities, researchers and innovators to partner with AALTO to develop very specialised payloads that bring the use possibilities for the Zephyr Stratocraft to life. Australia and Australian researchers can play a leading role in the development of this new aerospace domain. For Airbus, this deepens our already multi-billion dollar commitment to Australia, beyond our existing customers across governments, commercial airlines, helicopter operators and the Defence Force, into an entirely new domain," Forshaw said.

The Hon. Robyn Cahill OAM, Minister for Trade, Business and Asian Relations at the Northern Territory Government, said the Territory is rapidly building its role as a hub for aerospace and defence innovation and as a contributor to projects of national significance. She welcomed AALTO's plans, describing them as a sign of investor confidence that recognises regional strengths in defence, energy and digital sectors that support local jobs and opportunities.

AALTO's Be the Interface initiative is open to organisations in Australia and New Zealand with established payload development capabilities. After reviewing submissions, the company will select a number of firms to participate in Industry Dialogues at NTDefence, focusing on commercial and technical opportunities associated with integrating payloads on Zephyr for Stratospace missions.

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