In a significant move, Near Space Corporation of Tillamook, Oregon, was acquired by Aerostar in 2024. This merger has paved the way for a new era in balloon work in the stratosphere. Learn more about this exciting development and its implications. 

The Earth’s atmosphere consists of five layers: the troposphere (the level at which aircraft fly), the stratosphere (the level at which balloons fly), the mesosphere, the thermosphere (satellites), and the exosphere (rockets). The recent merger of Aerostar and Near Space Corporation launches new explorations into the world of high-atmosphere balloon technology, with its location at the Port of Tillamook Bay, Oregon. 

Russ Van Der Werff is vice president of Stratospheric Solutions for Aerostar in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and has been with the company for seven years. Tim Lachenmeier founded Near Space Corporation (NSC) in Tillamook, Oregon, and has owned and operated the company for 30 years. Michele Bradley, general manager of Port of Tillamook Bay, has been at the forefront of helping NSC and similar companies to expand in Tillamook and the surrounding area. 

This story is about the merging of long-term partner companies with innovative and interesting stratospheric balloon technology in the Northwest that is “daring mighty things” worldwide. 

Launching balloons into the stratosphere, a tradition that dates back more than 75 years, has revolutionized various fields and left an indelible mark. The impact of this technology is far-reaching — spanning intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), communications, defense, security, and more. 

Aerostar, initially Raven Industries, was founded by four General Mills Applied Sciences Division employees who shared a passion for balloons. Their primary purpose was the manufacture of high-altitude research balloons for the U.S. Navy. Raven, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, produced a line of polyethylene high altitude balloons used for research in the near space environment of 100,000 to 150,000-foot altitudes. In 2021, Raven, which had expanded into autonomous agriculture, was purchased by Case New Holland and sold the business’s non-agriculture portions. Aerostar, specializing in stratospheric balloon systems, radar solutions, and protective wear, was purchased by TCOM Holdings LLC and began operating as an independent company in 2022. 

Near Space Corporation (NSC): NSC, on the other hand, began its journey in Tillamook. Lachenmeier originally began his career at Raven Industries but left in 1995 to establish Near Space in Tillamook. Lachenmeier, a man driven by his love for flight testing and operations, said, “When I left Raven, it was to start Near Space to focus more on flight testing and more space stuff.

We tested entry, descent, and landing technologies with high-altitude balloons; these are the systems that help spacecraft return to Earth.” His desire to push the boundaries of flight operations was ignited in the early 90s when technology was making a big leap. This personal drive and ambition are what have propelled the industry forward. 

“The NASA programs we had been involved in launched very heavy payloads, (weighing) thousands of pounds and more sophisticated stuff. Our niche was in using new low cost computers and radios, and other electronics becoming available at the time, to do low-cost flight testing in situ in a near space environment. When trying to test new technology, you want to be in a relevant environment; with a parachute that will land on Mars, you want to test it at a relevant Mars density or similar environment.” He added that the testing was intended to advance the technology readiness level (TRL). “We focused on technologies trying to get to the TRL level of five or six, which require testing in a relevant environment.” He worked with customers from NASA, DoD, and other aerospace and commercial companies. 

Lachenmeier said he enjoys being involved with many different technologies and ideas in his role. He works with many rocket scientists and innovators creating change and advancing technology. “Instead of building widgets, (the employees) get to advance technology and solve problems.” He noted that his company has been great working together as a team, “trying to fly something,” and he enjoys the work.

He observed that Aerostar has evolved since he was at Raven. He’s seen the company expand into areas he explored with NSC and sees similarities between the two companies, “with a much deeper bench, and capabilities that overlap, but much greater than what a small company could do on their own.” 

He said that before being bought out by Aerostar, “We were really spread out supporting a wide range of space technology providers, whose investments were closely held, and our work primarily came from people who knew us. Aerostar has a much deeper reach into a larger customer base as well as their own investments to keep advancing technologies. We were limited as a small company as to what we could do. Now, with Aerostar, it is a fertile environment for growth.” He sees the Aerostar Tillamook group as younger, innovative, and more adaptive than NSC. 

Russ Van Der Werff, with Aerostar, has an engineering and business background. He knows Aerostar’s business inside out and said that the operation has grown from a couple of dozen people to 120 people on the team. 

He enjoys his job and says, “It’s been fun since I started, and it continues to be fun. I like that at Aerostar, we are doing the engineering piece, everything end-to-end, whereas many companies are doing just a piece or a part.” He noted that their motto is “Connect, Protect, and Save Lives,” which ties to their work. 

He said the work is engaging and dynamic and supports a good cause. Some examples include high-altitude balloon work, protective wear like survival suits, and border protection.

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 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 control tower to deconflict airspace around the Tillamook airport. It is a whole (line of) business we are excited about but didn’t have the capability before.” 

The Port of Tillamook Bay has facilitated regional growth based on companies like NSC. Michele Bradley, the port’s general manager, said that the port operates like an economic development arm in the region. She said NSC offers an alternative and has higher wages than the traditional wage base for the county. Finding employees in the region can be hard due to housing challenges. However, she noted that they are gaining momentum, and many regional employees live in neighboring coastal towns. 

She has worked with NSC and said that the general public may not know how innovative and beneficial the company is. Because of the company, Tillamook Bay has created new engineering, production, and integration hangar facilities at the Tillamook airport for NSC. “Their work is so unique, having the higher tech here. They’ve taken advantage of having broadband here. We are happy to have them at the airport.” Bradley also noted that they receive federal funding to help businesses succeed within the Port district, and NSC has participated. 

She said that as an economic hub, they would welcome other businesses to the Aerostar Tillamook location, “This is where the magic happens for these companies. The Portland/Hillsboro area is an hour away. A lot of businesses here fly private jets in. We are working on our airport master plan update and will ensure Aerostar is included in that.” She said they are updating their master plan for the Port of Tillamook Bay through a $500,000 grant from the FAA. 

Lachenmeier also stated that as a UAS test range, they can add to Aerostar’s new technology with drones. “Aerostar has done amazing things by flying balloons worldwide, and we complement that with drones. Everyone knows about drones providing delivery or maritime surveillance. Still, we can also support high-altitude platforms (HAPS), which bridge the gap between space and aircraft – high up in the stratosphere, you can have a balloon or solar aircraft loiter for a long time (similar to a geostationary satellite).” He said they could support the testing of planes and airships in the stratosphere. As a UAS Test Range in Tillamook, they can help develop and test the technology required by those platforms. Bespoke and eco-friendly cabin solutions for a beautifully crafted aviation experience. Discover the next generation of SIMONA Boltaron® materials and a new era of sophistication and sustainability.

Lachenmeier and his wife, who helps run the company, are proud of watching their employees grow and “seeing their passion move ahead with the work they’ve been doing.” 

He said that inflatable space technologies could help continue future orbital, lunar, and planetary exploration. 

Van Der Werff concluded that the combined company has a list of guiding principles that they rely on for future growth (paraphrased): 

1. Do what’s right – integrity and strong character, trustworthiness, follow through…
2. Dare mighty things – have courage, we love challenges, we have passion, we make things happen…
3. Make a difference – make the world a better place with our products and solutions, engage in the community…
4. Own it – take responsibility, be entrepreneurial, check egos at the door, delegate authority, empower team members…
5. Simplify – value clarity and brevity, take actionable steps, streamline processes, be humble…

In summary

Aerostar’s acquisition of Near Space Corporation (NSC) in 2024 was a collaborative effort to add skillsets and technologies between the two companies. This has expanded the ability of Aerostar and its Tillamook facility to expand in the Northwest and sail into the stratosphere. 

Contact

Aerostar

www.aerostar.com 

3901 W 59th Street

Sioux Falls, SD 57108

Phone: +1 (605) 331-3500