Drones, satellites and rocket planes are all well and good for high-flying missions, but sometimes the best craft for the job is a balloon.
Google’s Project Loon, for example, is enlisting machine learning to pilot its experimental data-beaming balloons through the stratosphere. And other ventures are using high-altitude balloon platforms to conduct missions traditionally associated with suborbital rocket launches.
Get a quick rundown on three ventures that are pushing the envelope.