c From the ground, they can appear round.
"A mysterious orb seen over Butler County in Ohio last week has been identified as one of three ‘Thunderhead’ balloon systems released in Maryland by Raven Aerostar on June 18th" linky
The Covert Long-Dwell Stratospheric Architecture (COLD STAR), a project designed to locate drug traffickers, was widely reported in 2019. At the time, the Pentagon launched 25 surveillance balloons from South Dakota as part of a demonstration. The Pentagon confirmed to POLITICO that the COLD STAR program has transitioned to the services. DoD would not disclose details about the effort because it is classified.Raven Aerostar, a division of Raven Industries, produces the balloons. Raven said they consist of a flight control unit, powered by batteries that are charged using renewable solar panels. --linky
c From the ground, they can appear round.
"A mysterious orb seen over Butler County in Ohio last week has been identified as one of three ‘Thunderhead’ balloon systems released in Maryland by Raven Aerostar on June 18th" linky
