5.4 RAVEN INDUTSTRIES/AEROSTAR
5.4.1 History
Established in 1956, Raven Industries has been involved with lighter-than-air
technologies longer than any other corporation currently involved in this field.
As part of Raven Industries, Raven Aerostar traces its roots back to the General
Mills Applied Sciences Division where Otto Winzen was the Chief Engineer in
1946. Winzen left General Mills in 1949 to found Winzen Research, Inc. This
became the major balloon manufacture for decades. Many years after his death,
the company was sold to Raven Industries.
Raven’s primary purpose was the manufacture of high altitude research balloons for the U.S. Navy. With this successful program, Raven found itself producing a line of polyethylene high altitude balloons that were used for research in the
near-space environment at altitudes of 30-45 km (100,000-150,000 ft). These balloons carried capsules holding mice, monkeys, and even cosmic ray measuring
devices that served as a key proving ground for establishing man’s compatibility
in space.
In 1960 Raven invented the modern hot air balloon. In 1966 the company
started to manufacture parachutes by adding a production facility in Huron,
SD. During that same year, it bought 11.5 acres of land in the Industrial Park in
Sioux Falls, SD for a 3,345 m
2
(36,000 ft
2
) production plant. In 1970 it successfully launched and flew the first unmanned airship in history to achieve powered
flight up in the stratosphere.
Aerostar International was established in 1986 as a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Raven Industries. It carried on everything which Raven did from the beginning. The technologies and expertise of Raven’s scientific ballooning were
transferred to Aerostar. Since then, Raven Aerostar has revolutionized its product lines and embraced its mission to continue the pioneering work of Raven
Industries.
Raven Aerostar comprises Aerostar International, Inc., and Aerostar
Technical Solutions, Inc., both wholly-owned subsidiaries, and is dedicated to
connecting and protecting lives by using its aerospace and defense technologies, including stratospheric platforms, radar systems, tethered aerostats and
(responding to the Covid-19 pandemic) protective wear garments. It supports
agencies involved in stratospheric flights, including NASA and the U.S. Air
Force, and commercial corporations including Google/Loon and World View
Enterprises. As such, it supports a variety of engineering efforts from acting as
a prime contractor and system integrator, to designing mission-specific elements for incorporation into existing systems. The multidisciplinary engineering team provides expertise in sensor technology, airborne system design, and
command/control systems.
5.4 Raven Indutstries/Aerostar 99
5.4.1 History
Established in 1956, Raven Industries has been involved with lighter-than-air
technologies longer than any other corporation currently involved in this field.
As part of Raven Industries, Raven Aerostar traces its roots back to the General
Mills Applied Sciences Division where Otto Winzen was the Chief Engineer in
1946. Winzen left General Mills in 1949 to found Winzen Research, Inc. This
became the major balloon manufacture for decades. Many years after his death,
the company was sold to Raven Industries.
Raven’s primary purpose was the manufacture of high altitude research balloons for the U.S. Navy. With this successful program, Raven found itself producing a line of polyethylene high altitude balloons that were used for research in the
near-space environment at altitudes of 30-45 km (100,000-150,000 ft). These balloons carried capsules holding mice, monkeys, and even cosmic ray measuring
devices that served as a key proving ground for establishing man’s compatibility
in space.
In 1960 Raven invented the modern hot air balloon. In 1966 the company
started to manufacture parachutes by adding a production facility in Huron,
SD. During that same year, it bought 11.5 acres of land in the Industrial Park in
Sioux Falls, SD for a 3,345 m
2
(36,000 ft
2
) production plant. In 1970 it successfully launched and flew the first unmanned airship in history to achieve powered
flight up in the stratosphere.
Aerostar International was established in 1986 as a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Raven Industries. It carried on everything which Raven did from the beginning. The technologies and expertise of Raven’s scientific ballooning were
transferred to Aerostar. Since then, Raven Aerostar has revolutionized its product lines and embraced its mission to continue the pioneering work of Raven
Industries.
Raven Aerostar comprises Aerostar International, Inc., and Aerostar
Technical Solutions, Inc., both wholly-owned subsidiaries, and is dedicated to
connecting and protecting lives by using its aerospace and defense technologies, including stratospheric platforms, radar systems, tethered aerostats and
(responding to the Covid-19 pandemic) protective wear garments. It supports
agencies involved in stratospheric flights, including NASA and the U.S. Air
Force, and commercial corporations including Google/Loon and World View
Enterprises. As such, it supports a variety of engineering efforts from acting as
a prime contractor and system integrator, to designing mission-specific elements for incorporation into existing systems. The multidisciplinary engineering team provides expertise in sensor technology, airborne system design, and
command/control systems.
5.4 Raven Indutstries/Aerostar 99