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China has confirmed that one of its balloons is currently flying over Latin America, but swears it is a civilian craft. Last weekend, the US military shot down another balloon flying over the United States. The stratosphere, where the rules are unclear, becomes a strategic space.
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.
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