Spy Balloons Are the Slow and Silent Future of Surveillance
The slow-moving inflatable crafts have distinct advantages for surveillance, and the recent controversy with China is only the beginning.
Partial inflation of an Aerostar Thunderhead Balloon System just prior to launch, near Baltic, South Dakota, last summer.
Source: Aerostar
When Russ Van Der Werff heard about the Chinese surveillance balloon detected drifting over the US, potentially spying on sensitive installations, he was concerned, naturally. But as vice president for stratospheric solutions at Aerostar, a company that makes high-altitude balloons, he was also kind of psyched. For years Van Der Werff has been working to convince government and commercial customers that Aerostar’s products offer serious advantages as surveillance platforms. It isn’t always easy. “There’s always someone saying, ‘Oh, now the balloon kooks are here,’” he says. “Well, now it looks like other people think it’s a good idea, too.”