What’s up With This Blimp Seen Flying over the Epping, New Hampshire, Area?

I'll be real with you, I haven't given the concept of blimps a whole lot of thought.

The one's I have seen have been flying over the beach with a giant "HOOD" logo and their purpose is evident: advertising. However, there are many varieties of blimps that serve many different functions in the U.S.

This one was spotted flying near Epping, New Hampshire. It is clearly unmarked so it is not serving advertising purposes.

Here are the most common uses for blimps aside from advertising:

Surveillance and Observation

Blimps have the ability to linger at low altitudes for long periods of time so they offer a stable platform for monitoring typically large areas. This is used most commonly by law enforcement agencies/security for crowd control during large events, natural disaster monitoring, and even border surveillance.

Monitoring Factors in the Environment

Again their ability to hover at low altitudes helps researchers/meteorologists collect data on weather patterns, atmospheric conditions, and pollution levels. In recent years, This helps us gain a better understanding of complex environmental issues to inform conservation efforts.

Transportation

This is not typical but it has happened where blimps are used to transport cargo particularly in hard-to-reach areas where traditional vehicles struggle. Their capacity to fit a lot of stuff combined with their ability to navigate rugged terrain, makes them a viable option for delivering supplies in remote locations.

Military Applications

All throughout history blimps have played a role in military operations. During World War I and World War II, they were used for recon and anti-submarine warfare.

Now that we've reviewed the many ways blimps can be used, what the heck was this blimp doing flying over Epping, New Hampshire?

A member of the Portsmouth, NH, Facebook group named George Williams shared this photo recently. In the caption he mentions that he is new to the area and could speculate about the blimp but he'd prefer to go straight to the source.

Well, careful what you ask for George. People started chirping in the comments about what purpose they thought the blimp was serving. Some were being snarky and sarcastic, others genuine. Do we have clarity on what the blimp was doing up there? Certainly not! But was it an entertaining thread to follow? Absolutely.

Out of all the funny/creative/offensive responses there were, this one from John Lane seemed the most legitimate to me:

"There is a company in Fremont that designs and builds drone airships/blimps for patrolling the southern US border for the DEA."

Then someone who used to write for the Union Leader, confirmed the blimp is the Altaeros aerostat and is based at the company’s research and development facility in Fremont.

He goes on to explain that this particular blimp is a cell tower blimp that’s being designed to provide cell service in remote areas. It does not provide cell service to the town of Fremont.

Do you ever see blimps flying over your town? Are you aware of what function they serve?