Spying from the sky: this is how the technology of stratospheric balloons works

The United States has detected in recent days what appears to be a Chinese spy balloon flying over its skies in the State of Montana, along the Canadian border, as confirmed by military commanders.

"Examples of this type of balloon activity have been previously observed in recent years," Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said in a statement.

While they are sometimes used to study the cosmos or make weather forecasts, there are also those who intend to use them as a spy weapon.

The balloon detected by the United States "travels at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not pose a military or physical threat to people on the ground."

With this description, it could be a stratospheric balloon.

Or as defined by the Canadian Space Agency (ASC), a high-altitude balloon that is launched into the stratosphere.

“They are the only type of balloons that can operate in this region of the atmosphere (15 to 45 km altitude), which is too low for satellites, too high for planes, and too fast for rockets,” he says.

These balloons, according to the agency, are usually made of ultra-fine plastic filled with helium and can be stretched into a gigantic inverted 'teardrop' with a height similar to that of the Eiffel Tower.

They are typically equipped with gondolas (baskets that hang from the globe), which can carry scientific, astronomical, or weather forecasting tools, as well as daytime and thermal cameras, radar, or even swarms of drones.

“Stratospheric balloons are a platform of choice for scientists and engineers as they can be used to test and advance space science for much less than the cost of a satellite (up to 40 times less) and provide the opportunity to conduct scientific experiments. concrete results in a short period of time and obtain results quickly”, says the ACS.

spy from the heights

In addition to being used to carry out scientific experiments in a space-like environment, these balloons can be useful for monitoring natural disasters and surveillance missions.

In fact, a military command in the Pentagon has confirmed, in anonymous statements to the press, that the purpose of the balloon detected by the United States "is clearly espionage."

Although similar incidents have occurred in the past, in this case the time that the balloon has remained in US territory is striking, more than in other previous situations, according to the military command.

As the ACS indicates, stratospheric balloons do not require an engine or fuel and, in some cases, they can make long-duration flights: "Of days, weeks and even months".

For example, World View Enterprises, an Arizona-based company that develops technology for government agencies and NASA, got one of its balloons to stay in the air for 32 days in 2019.

"Our stratospheric balloons fly five times closer to Earth than satellites, providing much more detailed images and data collection possibilities," comment their creators, who ensure that this information can be useful in maritime and government research.

The US government has already taken steps to prevent the device from collecting sensitive information, according to Ryder.

Meanwhile, Mao Ning, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, has explained that he is verifying the information from Washington and has urged prudence.

"Making conjectures and raising the tone before establishing the facts does not help the proper resolution of the file," he has stated.

United States in the balloon war

In recent years, various powers have experimented to what extent this type of balloon can be used to monitor an area at an affordable price.

The United States Senate Armed Services Committee recognized in 2020 "the growing importance of stratospheric balloons in command, control, communications, computing, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and missile defense missions."

The United States Department of Defense itself invests in this type of device.

In the last two years, the Pentagon has spent about $3.8 million on balloon projects and plans to spend $27.1 million in fiscal year 2023 "to continue working on multiple efforts," according to budget documents cited by the portal. Political.

While some of their programs look for ways to detect and even shoot down such balloons, others aspire to create their own so they can lurk undetected in enemy airspace.

This is indicated by the American magazine Popular Mechanics, citing the classified program COLD STAR (Covert Long-Dwell Stratospheric Architecture), whose objective would be to create a balloon equipped with high-fidelity sensors, autonomous navigation systems, and artificial intelligence.

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