Aerostar

Aerostar is a U.S.-based company with over 65 years of experience in lighter-than-air (LTA) platform development and operation, dating back to the first stratospheric airship flown in 1969. The company focuses on providing life-saving solutions for enhanced situational awareness and safety within the aerospace and defense sectors. Aerostar’s core capabilities encompass the design, development, and deployment of stratospheric balloons and airships, alongside associated engineering services, data management, and operational support.

Key technologies include their Thunderhead Balloon Systems and Zero Pressure Balloons, utilized for applications such as Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), communications, and scientific research. In 2021, Aerostar successfully demonstrated the feasibility of a networked constellation of stratospheric balloons capable of establishing communications and tracking devices over a 200-mile range. They also piloted a Thunderhead Balloon program to monitor wildfires, collecting valuable visible and thermal imagery for containment efforts.

Aerostar has a demonstrated history of supporting critical missions for a diverse customer base, including NASA, Google, and the U.S. Air Force. The company positions itself as a provider of unique, high-altitude LTA solutions that fill gaps in traditional strategic operations, offering capabilities in areas like persistent surveillance, communications relay, and data collection.