Aerostar
"We Connect, Protect, and Save Lives"
Sioux Falls, South Dakota manufacturer of stratospheric balloon and radar ISR systems; set a 336-day continuous stratospheric flight record in 2025.
Aerostar (formally Aerostar International) is a South Dakota-based aerospace and defense manufacturer headquartered at 3901 W 59th Street in Sioux Falls, tracing its roots to Raven Industries' ballooning work that began in the 1950s; Aerostar International was established as a dedicated Raven Industries subsidiary in 1986. Raven Industries itself was acquired by CNH Industrial in 2021, and Aerostar was subsequently divested to TCOM Holdings LLC in 2022, making it an independent lighter-than-air and situational-awareness specialist rather than a division of a diversified industrial parent.
The company's core product lines are stratospheric and high-altitude balloon systems -- including Thunderhead balloon platforms and zero-pressure balloons -- used for near-space ISR, scientific research, and communications relay, plus radar systems added through its 2012 acquisition of Vista Research Inc. Aerostar also manufactures protective wear for military and aviation personnel, such as anti-exposure coveralls and fuel-handler suits. From 2012 to 2021 the company partnered with Alphabet's Loon LLC on stratospheric balloon-based internet connectivity, and in 2025 it set what it describes as a world record for the longest continuous controlled flight in the stratosphere, at 336 days. In 2024 Aerostar acquired Near Space Corporation, adding further near-space platform capability. As of August 2026, the company is reported to be testing high-altitude balloons as motherships for launching drones in military applications, extending its stratospheric platforms into a role supporting uncrewed aerial operations rather than only carrying sensors and communications payloads.
Aerostar's customer base spans government and commercial ISR programs, and the company references work with NASA, Google (through the Loon partnership), and the U.S. Air Force. Its stated positioning is to connect, protect, and save lives through situational awareness, communications, defense and security, engineering services, and contract manufacturing. The company operates from a Sioux Falls production facility originally built in 1966 and expanded since, reflecting nearly six decades of continuous lighter-than-air manufacturing at the same site. Its differentiation among aerospace and defense suppliers is this combination of long-duration stratospheric balloon platforms with radar and ISR payload integration under one roof, a niche few competitors occupy at comparable scale and flight-duration track record.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Vista F50ER
Vista F50ER is an X-band surveillance radar (198kg, 0.5kVA) providing 360-degree wide-area target tracking for defense, security and ISR platforms.
Thunderhead Balloon Systems
Thunderhead is a stratospheric balloon platform enabling persistent near-space station-keeping for ISR, communications and R&D missions.
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Contact Aerostar
WEBSITE
https://www.aerostar.comPHONE
+1 605-331-3500HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
1986
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
employees 100-500
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Subsidiary / Acquired
Funding Total
-
