About Edge of Space Sciences (EOSS)

Edge of Space Sciences (EOSS) is a Denver, Colorado based non-profit organization that promotes science and education by exploring frontiers in amateur radio and high altitude balloons.  Click "Read More" for more information.

Our organization works with educators, offering valuable opportunities to enhance their students' studies of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through real, hands-on experience.  We provide FAA coordination, launch, tracking and recovery of the payloads.  Each year, our volunteers spend thousands of hours to enable student STEM programs to reach the Edge of Space.

Since its first flight in 1990, EOSS has grown its volunteer membership's numbers and skills over the course of more than 300 launches, ascents into the stratosphere and payload recoveries. Today, it is widely recognized as one of the premier Amateur Radio High Altitude Balloon (ARHAB) organizations in the world.

EOSS was incorporated in the State of Colorado in 1991 and is recognized by both Colorado and the U.S. Government as a 501(c)(3), tax exempt, scientific and educational organization.

Upcoming Flights and Past Missions

 EOSS plans for flight missions as much as a year in advance.  Planned flights are in coordination with university curriculums, semester endings and summer learning programs.  Once a year, EOSS conducts a test and qualification flight to evaluate new payloads.

What We Do and What You Can Do

Our members utilize amateur radio and balloons to advance scientific study of the upper atmosphere. We regularly work with educators, offering valuable opportunities to enhance their students' studies of science, mathematics and technology through real, hands-on experience.

EOSS conducts as many as fifteen balloon missions each year, sending amateur radio-equipped payloads deep into the stratosphere over eastern Colorado. Our typical apogee of 95,000 feet is above 99% of the Earth's atmospheric mass, where the sky is black and the highest clouds remain far below. VHF and UHF radio signals transmitted from this height are received as far as 400 miles away!

Sometimes called the "Edge of Space", this largely unexplored territory offers a wealth of opportunities for scientific observation and has even served as a reasonable approximation to outer space for testing prototype spacecraft. Gas balloons are the most practical means to get there, since rockets can visit it only briefly, and it is unattainable by ground-based aircraft. Because of the low cost of balloon flight expendables and recovery of payloads, one local high school teacher characterized EOSS as the "Poor Man's Space Program".

Individuals have many opportunities to exchange ideas with their fellow members. A monthly meeting is conducted the second Tuesday of each month. We welcome new members as mission opportunities continue to increase.  Come to our meetings or ask a member about EOSS and the many opportunities for you to contribute to the education of our youth. 

Become an EOSS Member

We welcome new members as mission opportunities continue to increase.  Join EOSS to participate in these rewarding educational adventures.  To join, please fill out and submit the EOSS Membership form found here.  To submit the form, you can print it and either sumbit it or send it to:  EOSS New Member, P.O. Box 271601, Littleton, CO 80127.  As an alternative, you can send your membership fees by logging into your PayPal account and sending your fees to paypal@eoss.orgWelcome!