invest the stratosphere, a strategic advance but also a threat

It progresses higher than airplanes, but lower than satellites. Before being shot down, the Chinese balloon that has flown over the United States in recent days was flying at very high altitude. An almost virgin territory, little exploited and little regulated, located between 12 and 100 km above our heads. From the stratosphere to the edge of space, it is a new continent to explore, which arouses much desire.

Relay for telecommunications

In a workshop near Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), the structure of a stratospheric balloon 85 meters in diameter is manufactured. Investing in the stratosphere to collect data or observe is already a reality for companies and some governments. France in particular, with this airship project running on solar energy, which could monitor borders, sensitive sites or maritime traffic 24 hours a day, or even serve as a relay for telecommunications. According to some specialists, these devices also pose a threat.