Jakarto Technology in the Stratosphere!

🛰️ Mission STRATOS: Mission Accomplished!

We are proud to have participated in Mission STRATOS, a world first led by the Dorothy Project team, with the support of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the French Space Agency (CNES).
This extraordinary adventure made it possible to test cutting-edge technologies under extreme conditions—including those of Jakarto—and to push the boundaries of innovation.

🎥 A Unique Challenge: Filming the Stratosphere in 11K

The mission’s primary objective was clear and ambitious: to successfully operate and remotely control an Insta360 TITAN camera from the CSA control center, at over 32 km altitude.

To achieve this, the Dorothy team developed DOROTHY 8, the largest and most advanced version of their module:

• 24 kg of cameras, microphones, sensors, and embedded electronics,

• an aluminum chassis built to withstand extreme conditions,

• two redundant onboard computers, ready to take over in case of failure,

• a TITAN camera, equipped with 8 lenses and capable of filming in 11K, coated with AZ-93 space paint (the same paint that protects the ISS) to manage thermal variations ranging from +60°C to -60°C.

The module was mounted on a 700 kg gondola, lifted by a helium balloon with a volume of 150,000 m³. The flight lasted 14 hours, reaching the stratosphere at 32 km altitude.

💪 A Mission Full of Twists and Turns

While the mission was ultimately a success, the journey was anything but smooth. The camera experienced three major failures, each threatening the mission and requiring real-time ingenuity:

1. Radio silence at 15 km altitude: the camera froze. The team used its custom remote reboot system, SRARI (Stratospheric Remote Activation and Reboot Interface), designed specifically for this mission. After a few tense minutes, the TITAN came back to life.

2. Complex software crash: doubts arose about whether SRARI could restart the camera. After 45 minutes of debate, Gregory discovered a workaround—by accessing internal Linux services normally reserved for the manufacturer, he was able to force a hard reboot of the camera. Risky, but successful.

3. Extreme cold (-22°C): the camera, left too long in the gondola’s shadow, saw its processor shut down. Loïc came up with a brilliant idea: writing a command loop to trigger ultra-short video acquisitions, generating just enough heat to “revive” the processor. After 15 minutes of digital CPR, the temperature rose to -5°C and the camera restarted.

Each failure could have meant the end of the mission. Each time, the Dorothy team’s ingenuity, creativity, and calm under pressure saved the camera and kept the mission aliv

👨‍💻 Our Involvement

We are especially proud to highlight the direct involvement of two members of the Jakarto team, who played a key role in the mission’s success:

• TITAN programming and control: Loïc Messal

• SRARI programming and control: Gregory Ogden

Their expertise and ability to deliver quick solutions under extreme conditions were essential to the smooth progress of the flight and the project’s overall success.

🌍 A Human and Technological Adventure

After 8 months of intensive preparation, these 14 hours of flight will be remembered as a true scientific and human epic—marked by doubts, adrenaline, improvised solutions, and small victories earned one at a time.

For Jakarto, it is a great source of pride to see both its technology and its team contribute to this success. This mission is a perfect illustration of how innovation and collaboration can push the boundaries of what is possible.

🙏 Acknowledgments

We warmly thank the Dorothy Project team for allowing us to take part in this mission and contribute our own touch of innovation.

We also highlight the exceptional support of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the French Space Agency (CNES), who made this adventure possible.

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