With the survival suits they make , he said , if a pilot jumps into cold water , they will survive . With the balloon systems , “ We work with the Forest Service with real-time communications to firefighters in the Pacific Northwest and Desert Southwest ; often there is no cellular coverage and they can call out to mission command if they need help .” He also noted that Aerostar conducts scientific research in particle physics with NASA . Another example of their expertise is they are working with Scepter Air and Exxon on methane research using balloons that can monitor methane leaks . Finally , they can provide ISR work to the battlefield to demonstrate threats via balloons and fix datalinks when they go down .
Van Der Werff discussed the fit
14 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS between Aerostar and NSC . He said NSC was known for lifting “ really big things and dropping them ,” like the Boeing Starliner . They put a big 20,000-pound capsule under a big balloon and dropped it to test the parachutes and ensure astronaut safety .
He said they are working with the European Space Agency ( ESA ) on the ExoMars program to test the descent of objects for the Martian landing . They can do this via a balloon by flying up at 100,000 feet in a thinner atmosphere , to see how falling in an atmosphere to Mars might work .
Lastly , Van Der Werff shared that the Aerostar Tillamook facility worked with Bigelow Aerospace on the only NASA-certified inflatable space structure ( inflatable membrane to hold air
for astronauts ) with an air barrier built at NSC in Tillamook . This structure is now in orbit , attached to the ISS space station .
With the acquisition , Van Der Werff said they retained the NSC employees because of their skill sets . He said that with the balloons they work with , the NSC team can complete the testing that Aerostar may not have had before . “ We are excited about the team and their experience .”
He also discussed the UAS Test Range — Tillamook operates as one of seven FAA-designated test sites and is the only one on the West Coast with airspace extending out over the Pacific Ocean . They can conduct maritime testing there . “ It is a low air traffic area , and they have their own air