Commercial and research interests have begun developing balloon and air vehicle system designs for performing missions in the stratosphere that are meant to fly from a few hours to weeks and even months in duration. This monograph seeks to highlight the main differences in the design determinants and likely performances of air and space missions that utilise pseudosatellites.
Pseudosatellites can offer new options for air and space that exploit favourable design features drawn from designs featuring in air and space missions. Whereas the Air Power Manual has defined impermanence as a limiting characteristic of air power, the long range and endurance capabilities that are possible with new stratospheric pseudosatellite missions is disrupting this traditional characteristic of air power.