Mystery Balloons Over Miami Valley Identified

Residents of the Miami Valley have been curious about large, balloon-like objects observed in the skies. These unidentified aerial objects have now been identified as Thunderhead super-pressure balloons operated by Aerostar, a company headquartered in South Dakota. The company launched two of these balloons on June 14 and June 15 from Dangle Airport, South Dakota.

Russ VanDerWerff, Vice President of Stratospheric Systems at Aerostar, explained that these balloons undertake diverse missions for various clients. These include environmental and weather studies, methane leak detection in partnership with ExxonMobil, and wildfire tracking in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service. Other clients, including government and defense entities, also utilize Aerostar's services for collection purposes. The specific customer for the recent launches remains confidential, according to VanDerWerff. He also emphasized that the public need not worry, as Aerostar's operations are conducted safely and pose no risks to individuals on the ground.