Zero 2 Infinity
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Jose Mariano López-Urdiales |
| Headquarters | Barberà del Vallès, Barcelona , Spain |
Key people | Jose Mariano López-Urdiales (CEO) |
| Products | Bloostar, Bloon, Elevate |
| Website | www |
Zero 2 Infinity (stylized as 0II∞ and also known as Zero2Infinity) is a privately held Spanish firm specializing in the development of high-altitude balloon systems aimed at accessing near space and low Earth orbit through balloon-supported pods and launch platforms.
Established in 2009 by aerospace engineer Jose Mariano López-Urdiales, who continues to serve as CEO, the company operates out of Barberà del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
Zero 2 Infinity conducts testing of high-altitude balloons and deploys small payloads for both scientific research and commercial purposes, emphasizing a reduced environmental footprint compared to conventional launch methods. Their crewed capsule, named Bloon, is designed for the space tourism sector. In 2016, the CEO anticipated initiating commercial flights by 2019; by 2020, the objective shifted toward transporting paying customers above 30 km altitude by 2021.
Products
The primary portfolio of Zero 2 Infinity comprises:
- Bloostar: a balloon-assisted launch vehicle intended to place small, micro-, and nanosatellites into orbit utilizing rockoon technology.
- Bloon: a zero-emission balloon craft developed for manned near-space excursions targeting scientific, educational, and space tourism applications.
- Elevate: a service providing near-space payload flights for scientific experiments, communications, satellite validation, meteorological studies, and promotional activities.
Bloostar
Bloostar represents Zero 2 Infinity’s launch vehicle currently in development, focusing on the small satellite deployment market. It employs the rockoon approach—where a high-altitude balloon elevates the rocket to approximately 30 km before engine ignition and stage separation—facilitating orbital insertion of payloads. The vehicle is designed to carry up to 140 kg into a 200-km low Earth orbit or 75 kg into a 600-km Sun-synchronous orbit.
Design
The launch system features liquid-fueled engines arranged in concentric toroid configurations encircling the central payload compartment. Each toroidal stage ignites sequentially from roughly 30 km altitude and separates in a manner akin to traditional rockets employing parallel staging.
Powered by thirteen engines distributed over three stages and fueled by methalox (liquid methane combined with liquid oxygen), the first two stages contain filament-wound carbon fiber tanks, whereas the third stage utilizes flexible multilayer tank technology. The outermost stage weighs close to four tons and includes six Teide 2 engines delivering 15 kN thrust each; the second stage is a 700 kg toroid equipped with six smaller Teide 1 engines rated at 2 kN each; the central third stage weighs approximately 400 kg and carries one Teide 1 engine. A propellant crossfeed system allows all engines to operate simultaneously while consuming fuel from only the outer tank at any given time, thereby improving efficiency. All engines are optimized for high-altitude vacuum performance with simple pressure-fed engine designs that omit turbopumps, reducing overall complexity and cost. The Teide 1 combustion chambers are produced via 3D printing by the Andalusian Foundation for Aerospace Development.
The toroidal shape of the stages increases distance from the sonic boundary during atmospheric reentry, mitigating thermal damage risks. Its flat configuration permits satellite deployment without folding mechanisms, accommodating payloads that deploy solar panels directly post-launch.
Balloon components are engineered for recovery and potential reuse. Although López-Urdiales states that Bloostar is technically reusable, commercial operations do not currently plan for reuse. Utilizing methane-oxygen propellant minimizes soot accumulation, aiding engine reusability. The torus geometry reduces aerodynamic heating upon reentry by harmonizing blunt shapes optimal for vacuum ascent and atmospheric descent—contrasting with slender ascent profiles alone. Bloostar’s architecture integrates ascent and descent design considerations enabled by balloon-assisted launch methods. Recovery strategies involve controlled descent of the first stage in an inverted orientation using part of its dorsal fairing as an ablative heat shield, decelerating it sufficiently for capture via a sea-based net.
Development background
Work on Bloostar commenced in 2013. The initial flight experiment, conducted in March 2017, utilized a prototype representing less than half the scale of the upper two stages. This prototype was carried to an altitude of 25 km by a balloon, then detached, briefly ignited a small solid-fuel motor, and was safely retrieved by parachute. The second phase plans to perform suborbital missions using nanobloorstar—the third stage of Bloostar—carrying a 75 kg payload to an altitude of 180 km.
Although the first commercial launch was originally slated for 2019, this schedule might be delayed as Zero 2 Infinity focuses more on its revenue-generating Elevate product line.
Bloon
Bloon is an environmentally friendly, balloon-supported vehicle currently being developed for manned near-space missions. It consists of a helium-lifted capsule paired with a steerable parachute system designed for autonomous terrestrial descent. The Bloon series includes models such as Bloon, Minibloon, Microbloon, and Nanobloon, which vary primarily in size.
Since it relies solely on helium balloons for lift, Bloon is classified as a zero-emission vehicle. It is engineered to transport up to four passengers along with two pilots to altitudes reaching 36 km (118,110 feet). The ascent typically lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours, with passengers spending up to two hours at maximum altitude before descending using a steerable parachute and airbags that facilitate gentle landings.
Elevate
Elevate is a service designed to carry payloads into near space via stratospheric balloons for purposes such as spacecraft component testing, drop tests, astronomical observations, or promotional activities. Payload capacities range from just a few kilograms up to over 5,000 kg, with operational altitudes spanning from 20 to 42 kilometers. The duration at altitude can vary from several hours to multiple days or even weeks depending on the launch site. Additional features include solar panels, battery power options, guided parafoil recovery systems instead of conventional parachutes, and bespoke solutions tailored to client requirements.
Flight record
As of 2016, Zero 2 Infinity has completed more than 30 flights. Significant flights involving Bloon are summarized below:
| Flight Name | Date | Altitude (km) | Altitude (miles) | Altitude (feet) | Crewed/Uncrewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| nanobloon 1.0 | November 2009 | 32 | 20 | 104,987 | Uncrewed |
| nanobloon 2.0 | June 2010 | 33 | 21 | 108,268 | Uncrewed |
| microbloon 1.0 | October 2010 | 24 | 15 | 78,740 | Uncrewed |
| microbloon 2.0 | May 2012 | (non-successful) | (non-successful) | (non-successful) | Uncrewed |
| microbloon 2.0 | November 2012 | 31 | 19 | 101,706 | Uncrewed |
| microbloon 3.0 | September 2013 | 27 | 17 | 88,583 | Uncrewed |
| Bloon model | January 2017 | Tethered | Tethered | Tethered | Uncrewed |
On March 1, 2017, Zero 2 Infinity successfully launched its inaugural rocket from near space—a Bloostar prototype—at the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA) facility located in El Arenosillo, Huelva. The vehicle was lifted by balloon from a vessel in the Gulf of Cadiz to an altitude of 25 km before ignition of the rocket motor. The mission objectives included verifying telemetry under space-like conditions, controlled ignition and stabilization of the rocket motor, monitoring the launch sequence, deploying parachutes for descent, and recovering the vehicle from the sea—all objectives were met successfully.
See also
- World View Enterprises, a company specializing in near-space balloon tourism
- Deimos-One, an American private provider of launch services