Raven Industries Uses Stratospheric Balloon Technology to Monitor Wildfires
September 28 2021 - 8:16AM
Business Wire
Raven Industries, Inc. (the Company; NASDAQ:RAVN) announced
today that the company monitored major active wildfires via
stratospheric balloon over the past several months, successfully
demonstrating the use of stratospheric balloon technology for
wildfire management.
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the full release here:
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A thermal camera image (left) taken at
the same time as a visible camera image (right). Both images were
captured by one of Raven Aerostar's Thunderhead Balloon Systems
while station-seeking above and monitoring a wildfire. While
billowing smoke obscures the visual image, active flames are
identified as bright white markings on the thermal image, offering
actionable information for containment efforts. (Photo: Business
Wire)
In response to a growing need to protect natural resources,
homes and lives during wildfire outbreaks, Raven Aerostar piloted a
Thunderhead Balloon program during June, July and August 2021 to
monitor active wildfires across the United States. Equipped with
cameras and sensors, one of the company’s stratospheric balloons
traveled more than 16,000 miles throughout its 70-day flight, which
included station-seeking above four active fires — the Robertson
Draw Fire (Mont.), the Dixie Fire (Calif.), the Dixie-Jumbo Fire
(Idaho) and the Dry Gulch/Lick Creek fire (Wash.) — collecting
visible and thermal imagery for extended periods of time.
“Wildfires burn millions of acres per year, and researchers
expect fires to become larger and more severe in years to come,”
said Jim Nelson, Division Manager of Raven Aerostar. “From
monitoring hot spots to predicting future wildfire movement,
Raven’s Thunderhead Balloon Systems can provide essential data
about the status and spread of active wildfires for use in
containment efforts and, ultimately, to save lives.”
In addition to real-time visible and thermal imagery, the
company’s stratospheric balloon technology can provide a vital
communication relay to firefighters on the ground working to
contain the flames, allowing reliable coordination via standard
hand-held radios. Raven’s stratospheric balloons can dwell over a
specified area for weeks and months. In these harsh environments,
where long-range communications are often obstructed and impossible
to connect, Raven’s stratospheric balloons can link nodes in a
communications network and extend sensor ranges by hundreds of
miles.
About Raven Industries, Inc.
Raven Industries (NASDAQ: RAVN) provides innovative, high-value
products and systems that solve great challenges throughout the
world. Raven is a leader in precision agriculture, high-performance
specialty films, and aerospace and defense solutions, and the
company’s groundbreaking work in autonomous systems is unlocking
new possibilities in areas like farming, national defense, and
scientific research. Since 1956, Raven has designed, produced, and
delivered exceptional solutions, earning the company a reputation
for innovation, product quality, and unmatched service. For more
information, visit https://ravenind.com.
About Raven Aerostar
Raven Aerostar consists of wholly-owned subsidiaries Aerostar
International, Inc. and Aerostar Technical Solutions, Inc.
Dedicated to connecting, protecting and saving lives through its
work as an Aerospace & Defense provider, Raven Aerostar’s core
product offerings include stratospheric platforms, radar and
perception sensors, technical services, tethered aerostats, and
protective wear. From engineering services to mission planning and
support, research and design, and the development of advanced
technical products — Raven Aerostar offers tailored turnkey
solutions for a multitude of successful operations. Visit
https://ravenaerostar.com for more information.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005744/en/
Lisa McElrath, Corporate Communications Manager Raven Industries
+1 (605) 336-2750 lisa.mcelrath@ravenind.com
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