From pigeon-mounted cameras to dragonfly drones, here's how aerial surveillance has evolved to spy on people over the past 200 years

James PasleyMar 12, 2023, 19:48 IST

A man is being instructed how to use an aerial camera on a plane during World War II.Culture Club/Getty

A Chinese spy balloon in the US is the latest in a long history of governments spying on each other from the sky.
Aerial surveillance dates back to the French Revolution to UFO rumors to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Last month, the US government shot down a Chinese spy balloon floating near a South Carolina beach.

The Pentagon said it was there gathering intelligence. China said it was doing civilian research. Regardless, it was nothing new.

Governments have been spying on each other for hundreds of years. They've used all sorts of techniques, from the German army using pigeon-carrying cameras to the US releasing hundreds of balloons in the hope they would float across the entirety of Russia and get to Japan.

Here's how surveillance from the sky has developed over the years.

The first record of aerial surveillance happened toward the end of the 18th century. During the Revolutionary War, the French successfully used hot air balloons to monitor combat during the Battle of Fleurus against Britain, Germany, and Holland.

A French officer is seen mapping terrain aboard a balloon gondola as he performs aerial reconnaissance before the introduction of aerial cameras in the 1870s.Bettmann/Getty Images

The first record of aerial surveillance happened toward the end of the 18th century. During the Revolutionary War, the French successfully used hot air balloons to monitor combat during the Battle of Fleurus against Britain, Germany, and Holland.

During the Civil War in the US, both sides used balloons to survey battlefields. They got as high as 1,000 feet and were usually tethered so they could be pulled back down and balloonists onboard could convey the intelligence they gathered.

A balloon is inflated before being used to watch over a battle known as the Battle of Fair Oaks in 1862.Buyenlarge/Getty Images

During the Civil War in the US, both sides used balloons to survey battlefields. They got as high as 1,000 feet and were usually tethered so they could be pulled back down and balloonists onboard could convey the intelligence they gathered.

In 1903, a German man named Julius Neubronner attached cameras to pigeons so he could figure out where they were flying. His technique would be copied by the German army during World War I.

A pigeon with a camera attached to its body in France in 1910.Boyer/Roger Viollet/Getty Images

In 1903, a German man named Julius Neubronner attached cameras to pigeons so he could figure out where they were flying. His technique would be copied by the German army during World War I.

Alongside pigeons, hot air balloons continued to play an essential role during World War I. They were used to find enemy locations, direct troops, and aim the artillery.

A sergeant of the Royal Flying Corps demonstrates a C type aerial reconnaissance camera fixed to the fuselage of a BE2c aircraft, 1916.Imperial War Museums/Getty Images

Alongside pigeons, hot air balloons continued to play an essential role during World War I. They were used to find enemy locations, direct troops, and aim the artillery.

Scientists worked on improving the spy balloons. One new type used in the war was the "dirigible balloon," designed to get as long as 700 feet long and float up to about 6,000 feet. But what made them so useful was that they were engine-powered and steerable.

Passengers aboard a ship below watch a zeppelin crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 1932.Keystone-France/Gamm-Keystone/Getty Images

Scientists worked on improving the spy balloons. One new type used in the war was the "dirigible balloon," designed to get as long as 700 feet long and float up to about 6,000 feet. But what made them so useful was that they were engine-powered and steerable.

Both sides knew how valuable balloons were, so they quickly became targets and were often shot down.

Soldiers run away from a burning observation balloon that crashed at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma, in 1918.Photoquest/Getty Images

One US army pilot named Frank Luke Jr. became known as the "Arizona Balloon Buster" after he shot down 18 German balloons.

American World War I fighter ace, Frank Luke Jr (1897 - 1918), with his SPAD S.XIII biplane, France, 18th September 1918.Getty Images

By 1935, the technology had developed further. Cameras were now used on planes. Here, an airman uses a rapid-action, automatic aerial camera while flying. It could be used for vertical or oblique shots.

An airman using a Fairchild F 14 rapid-action, automatic military aerial camera, circa 1935.FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

By 1935, the technology had developed further. Cameras were now used on planes. Here, an airman uses a rapid-action, automatic aerial camera while flying. It could be used for vertical or oblique shots.

Armies began to set up photographic trailers at different bases, and soldiers even sometimes developed photos in darkrooms onboard planes.

Airmen photographers inspect developed reconnaissance film from an aerial camera at a landing ground in Egypt in 1941.Royal Air Force Official Photographer/Imperial War Museums/Getty Images

In World War II, the US used untethered blimps called K-ships for surveillance. They were especially useful for finding submarines since they could hover above the sea for long periods, while soldiers watched for any movement in the water below.

Two unidentified merchant cargo ships from a convoy as they are escorted by a K-Class patrol blimp in the 1940s.PhotoQuest/Getty Images

In World War II, the US used untethered blimps called K-ships for surveillance. They were especially useful for finding submarines since they could hover above the sea for long periods, while soldiers watched for any movement in the water below.

After World War II, the US focused its aerial surveillance on Russia. Though no one knew it at the time, the first public record of its new mission happened when a balloon crashed into the ground near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.

Jesse Marcel, a head intelligence officer, holds some of the debris from the “flying disc” crash in Roswell in 1947.Universal History Archive/ Universal Images Group/Getty Images

After World War II, the US focused its aerial surveillance on Russia. Though no one knew it at the time, the first public record of its new mission happened when a balloon crashed into the ground near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.

In 1953, the US began the Moby Dick program. Authorized by President Dwight Eisenhower, it was a plan to use balloons to spy on Russia. The US government rated it as its highest priority. The only other project on the same level was the hydrogen bomb.

Dwight Eisenhower.AP Photo

In 1953, the US began the Moby Dick program. Authorized by President Dwight Eisenhower, it was a plan to use balloons to spy on Russia. The US government rated it as its highest priority. The only other project on the same level was the hydrogen bomb.

Three years later, the US sent 516 balloons over China, Russia, and Eastern Europe. Each carried a new type of film that would work in freezing temperatures.

A Russian colonel during a press conference discussing the US’s tactic of sending balloons over its country.Bettmann/Getty Images

Ironically, when Russia took the first ever photo of the moon's dark side, it was taken with the same film it had gotten from one of the crashed balloons.

Photograph of the far side of the moon taken by a crew member on Apollo 16 (not the original photo captured by Russia).WOtP on Wikipedia

In 1957, the US launched the U-2 plane to replace balloons. During the Cold War, it played a crucial role keeping surveillance on Russia. It could fly at 70,000 feet — double the altitude of what commercial jets fly today — which was too high for Russia to shoot them down.

A U-2 plane is photographed at Edwards Air Force Base in 1960.John Bryson/Getty Images

In 1957, the US launched the U-2 plane to replace balloons. During the Cold War, it played a crucial role keeping surveillance on Russia. It could fly at 70,000 feet — double the altitude of what commercial jets fly today — which was too high for Russia to shoot them down.

In 1962, it was a U-2 aircraft that was responsible for confirming there were Russian nuclear weapons in Cuba, just 90 miles from the US. This led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Photographic evidence of ballistic missile base in Cuba which President John F. Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba in the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.Keystone/Getty Images

In 1962, it was a U-2 aircraft that was responsible for confirming there were Russian nuclear weapons in Cuba, just 90 miles from the US. This led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The U-2 was flown by a US Air Force major named Rudolf Anderson Jr., who flew over the site 13 days later and was shot and killed by Russian missiles.

The debris of an American U-2 airplane shot down by the Cubans during the 1962 missile crisis is scattered over the ground.Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images

From the 1950s to the 1970s, the Space Race became a key focus for Russia and the US. The point was to get to space, but it also led to the development of satellite imagery, which changed aerial surveillance forever.

One of the first shots of Earth from space taken in 1954, plainly showing the curvature, photographed near the end of the Navy Viking Rocket's trip.Bettmann/Getty Images

From the 1950s to the 1970s, the Space Race became a key focus for Russia and the US. The point was to get to space, but it also led to the development of satellite imagery, which changed aerial surveillance forever.

In 1958, the US launched a covert operation known as the Corona Project. Officially, it was a space exploration program called the "Discoverer." But in reality, it was once again about spying on Russia.

Earth observation from Space Shuttle Discovery showing twin lakes on the Tibetan Plateau north of the country's border with Nepal, Tibet, January 1992.Space Frontiers/Archive Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In 1958, the US launched a covert operation known as the Corona Project. Officially, it was a space exploration program called the "Discoverer." But in reality, it was once again about spying on Russia.

Satellites were sent into space with a mile and a half of 70mm film.

An artist’s sketch of a Corona satellite.National Reconnaissance Office

When the film was finished, it was dropped in a heat shield from about 60,000 feet in the sky. A parachute would be released on its descent, and the film would be caught by planes at around 15,000 feet.

A plane catches film released from a satellite.National Reconnaissance Office

When the film was finished, it was dropped in a heat shield from about 60,000 feet in the sky. A parachute would be released on its descent, and the film would be caught by planes at around 15,000 feet.

From the outside, the competition was still about getting to space, but the US also got about 850,000 photos of Russia during the 1960s and 1970s as part of the Corona Project.

An image of a runway in Russia taken on the first Corona mission in August 1960.National Reconnaissance Office

From the outside, the competition was still about getting to space, but the US also got about 850,000 photos of Russia during the 1960s and 1970s as part of the Corona Project.

One of the main problems with the early satellites was that they couldn't last long in orbit, so both the US and Russia had to launch new satellites almost every fortnight.

A shot showing the interior mechanisms of one of the Corona satellites.National Reconnaissance Office

One of the main problems with the early satellites was that they couldn't last long in orbit, so both the US and Russia had to launch new satellites almost every fortnight.

In the 1970s, the CIA built a drone that weighed less than a gram and looked like a dragonfly. It was called the "Insectothopter" and could fly across two football fields in a minute.

A shot of the Insectothopter from the 1970s.Central Intelligence Agency

In the 1970s, the CIA built a drone that weighed less than a gram and looked like a dragonfly. It was called the "Insectothopter" and could fly across two football fields in a minute.

The first modern drones began appearing in the 1980s in Israel. The Israeli government used drones to watch citizens of interest.

People are seen working on an Israeli army spy drone in the 1990s.Jean-Luc Manaud/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

In 1991, the US used its own drone called the Pioneer during the Gulf War. While these drones were primarily used to convey enemy locations, it also videoed Iraqi soldiers as they surrendered in a historic first.

Crew members aboard the battleship USS Wisconsin prepare a Pioneer remotely piloted vehicle for launch during the Gulf War.Corbis/Getty Images

In 1991, the US used its own drone called the Pioneer during the Gulf War. While these drones were primarily used to convey enemy locations, it also videoed Iraqi soldiers as they surrendered in a historic first.

In 1995, General Atomics, a defense contractor based in San Diego, created the Gnat, a remote-controlled drone that carried a video camera. It was later renamed the Predator and was used to capture Osama Bin Laden in 2000.

A Predator drone, an unmanned aerial vehicle, takes off on a US Customs Border Patrol mission from Fort Huachuca, Arizona.Ross D. Franklin/AP

In 1995, General Atomics, a defense contractor based in San Diego, created the Gnat, a remote-controlled drone that carried a video camera. It was later renamed the Predator and was used to capture Osama Bin Laden in 2000.

In the 21st century, airborne surveillance became even more sophisticated. New technology made it possible for drones to transmit a live-stream from anywhere in the world.

A member of US military watches footage from a Predator drone in Afghanistan in 2006.Veronique de Viguerie/Getty Images

In the 21st century, airborne surveillance became even more sophisticated. New technology made it possible for drones to transmit a live-stream from anywhere in the world.

Despite all of these advances, China doesn't rely on drones for its aerial surveillance. In a case of history repeating itself, China's been using balloons this year to spy on more than 40 countries on five continents.

A US Air Force U-2 pilot looks down at a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovers over the United States on February 3, 2023.Department of Defense/AP

Despite all of these advances, China doesn't rely on drones for its aerial surveillance. In a case of history repeating itself, China's been using balloons this year to spy on more than 40 countries on five continents.

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From pigeon-mounted cameras to dragonfly drones, here's how aerial surveillance has evolved to spy on people over the past 200 years

The first record of aerial surveillance happened toward the end of the 18th century. During the Revolutionary War, the French successfully used hot air balloons to monitor combat during the Battle of Fleurus against Britain, Germany, and Holland.

During the Civil War in the US, both sides used balloons to survey battlefields. They got as high as 1,000 feet and were usually tethered so they could be pulled back down and balloonists onboard could convey the intelligence they gathered.

In 1903, a German man named Julius Neubronner attached cameras to pigeons so he could figure out where they were flying. His technique would be copied by the German army during World War I.

Alongside pigeons, hot air balloons continued to play an essential role during World War I. They were used to find enemy locations, direct troops, and aim the artillery.

Scientists worked on improving the spy balloons. One new type used in the war was the "dirigible balloon," designed to get as long as 700 feet long and float up to about 6,000 feet. But what made them so useful was that they were engine-powered and steerable.

Both sides knew how valuable balloons were, so they quickly became targets and were often shot down.

One US army pilot named Frank Luke Jr. became known as the "Arizona Balloon Buster" after he shot down 18 German balloons.

By 1935, the technology had developed further. Cameras were now used on planes. Here, an airman uses a rapid-action, automatic aerial camera while flying. It could be used for vertical or oblique shots.

Armies began to set up photographic trailers at different bases, and soldiers even sometimes developed photos in darkrooms onboard planes.

In World War II, the US used untethered blimps called K-ships for surveillance. They were especially useful for finding submarines since they could hover above the sea for long periods, while soldiers watched for any movement in the water below.

After World War II, the US focused its aerial surveillance on Russia. Though no one knew it at the time, the first public record of its new mission happened when a balloon crashed into the ground near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.

In 1953, the US began the Moby Dick program. Authorized by President Dwight Eisenhower, it was a plan to use balloons to spy on Russia. The US government rated it as its highest priority. The only other project on the same level was the hydrogen bomb.

Three years later, the US sent 516 balloons over China, Russia, and Eastern Europe. Each carried a new type of film that would work in freezing temperatures.

Ironically, when Russia took the first ever photo of the moon's dark side, it was taken with the same film it had gotten from one of the crashed balloons.

In 1957, the US launched the U-2 plane to replace balloons. During the Cold War, it played a crucial role keeping surveillance on Russia. It could fly at 70,000 feet — double the altitude of what commercial jets fly today — which was too high for Russia to shoot them down.

In 1962, it was a U-2 aircraft that was responsible for confirming there were Russian nuclear weapons in Cuba, just 90 miles from the US. This led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The U-2 was flown by a US Air Force major named Rudolf Anderson Jr., who flew over the site 13 days later and was shot and killed by Russian missiles.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, the Space Race became a key focus for Russia and the US. The point was to get to space, but it also led to the development of satellite imagery, which changed aerial surveillance forever.

In 1958, the US launched a covert operation known as the Corona Project. Officially, it was a space exploration program called the "Discoverer." But in reality, it was once again about spying on Russia.

Satellites were sent into space with a mile and a half of 70mm film.

When the film was finished, it was dropped in a heat shield from about 60,000 feet in the sky. A parachute would be released on its descent, and the film would be caught by planes at around 15,000 feet.

From the outside, the competition was still about getting to space, but the US also got about 850,000 photos of Russia during the 1960s and 1970s as part of the Corona Project.

One of the main problems with the early satellites was that they couldn't last long in orbit, so both the US and Russia had to launch new satellites almost every fortnight.

In the 1970s, the CIA built a drone that weighed less than a gram and looked like a dragonfly. It was called the "Insectothopter" and could fly across two football fields in a minute.

The first modern drones began appearing in the 1980s in Israel. The Israeli government used drones to watch citizens of interest.

In 1991, the US used its own drone called the Pioneer during the Gulf War. While these drones were primarily used to convey enemy locations, it also videoed Iraqi soldiers as they surrendered in a historic first.

In 1995, General Atomics, a defense contractor based in San Diego, created the Gnat, a remote-controlled drone that carried a video camera. It was later renamed the Predator and was used to capture Osama Bin Laden in 2000.

In the 21st century, airborne surveillance became even more sophisticated. New technology made it possible for drones to transmit a live-stream from anywhere in the world.

Despite all of these advances, China doesn't rely on drones for its aerial surveillance. In a case of history repeating itself, China's been using balloons this year to spy on more than 40 countries on five continents.