While LEOs may be receiving most of the attention, an emerging technology is rising to the stratosphere in the form of High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS). HAPS have the potential to unlock the Earth’s stratosphere and enhance global connectivity, offering significant opportunities across various industries, including telecommunications, high-resolution Earth observation, weather prediction, and modeling. Though both LEOs and HAPS are used for communication, surveillance, and data collection, they differ greatly in design, functionality, and use cases. To share insights into the similarities and differences between LEOs and HAPS, we are joined by Russ Van Der Werff, Vice President of the HAPS Alliance and VP of Stratospheric Solutions at Aerostar.