A graphic offering a general overview of Aerostar’s full family of high-altitude balloons. The Apollo-R drone is a solar-powered, glider-like design that is also optimized for high-endurance flights at very high altitudes. An Urban Sky high-altitude balloon carries an Apollo-R drone aloft during Exercise Valiant Shield 2026. The service has previously outlined a vision for establishing “persistent, all-domain sensor architecture for the Indo-Pacific theater” in which high-altitude balloons are a central component. For Aerostar, the company now sees ‘drone mothership’ as another important role on the horizon for its Thunderhead high-altitude balloon.