Telegraph from Lowe’s Balloon, 1861
Image from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
As Skywatchdc learned in our interview with Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Senior Curator Tom Crouch, the United States Air Force was (in-effect) created with aerostats in mind. Professor Thaddeus Lowe demonstrated the new technology on June 16, 1861, when he flew a balloon 500 feet above the White House.
Much like JLENS blimps, which are tethered to the ground by data-transmission cables, Lowe’s balloon was connected to the ground by a telegraph cable, demonstrating the capability to survey and report critical combat operations data from a superior vantage point. The technology has changed, but the concept is the same.
President Lincoln was so excited by the result that he invited the inventor to spend the night as a White House guest. In July of 1861, Lincoln penned a memo mentioning this new technology:
Will Lieut. Gen. Scott please see Professor Lowe once more about his balloon? A. Lincoln, July 25, 1861 (See an image of the letter on the Smithsonian’s website)
Lincoln green-lighted the project, commissioning inventor Thaddeus Lowe to create a balloon corps for the Union Army. The Confederate Army failed to ever successfully shoot down a Union Army Balloon.
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