What looked to be a UFO in China is actually powering the entire grid
Published on Jan 30, 2026 at 5:07 PM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Jan 30, 2026 at 5:07 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Locals in Yibin, in Sichuan Province, China, spotted a giant blimp-like object that could have been a UFO floating overhead and did a double-take.
It looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, silently hovering above the city.
Social media quickly lit up with theories, but the truth was far more surprising than aliens.
Whatever it was, this strange craft was not just floating for fun.
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UFO sighting in China
The mysterious object appeared during a major energy test in early January 2026, climbing to around 2,000 meters above the ground and holding a steady hover.
From below, it looked like a huge futuristic airship, a blimp or UFO, and completely out of place in the sky, but in fact, it was a snazzy piece of tech.
At that altitude, winds are typically stronger and more consistent than those closer to the surface.
That is exactly why engineers have been racing to build renewable tech that can operate far above traditional wind turbines.
The aircraft was tethered to the ground by a cable, keeping it stable as it hovered.
But the tether was not just for control; it also served another key purpose: connecting whatever was happening in the sky back down to Earth.
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It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s a S2000 Stratosphere Airborne Wind Energy System!
The so-called UFO was actually the S2000 Stratosphere Airborne Wind Energy System, a next-generation airborne wind turbine designed to send electricity directly into the grid.
Instead of giant towers planted on land, the S2000 uses a helium-filled airship platform with turbines built into its structure, allowing it to harvest wind power high in the atmosphere.
During the test, the platform successfully delivered 385 kilowatt hours of electricity into the local power network, which is a crazy efficient number for airborne wind energy.
The size is wild, too; the S2000 has a reported volume of about 20,000 cubic meters, measures around 60 meters long, and stands roughly 40 meters tall and wide.
It also has a maximum rated capacity of three megawatts, with developers already moving towards producing a small batch.
Sometimes, a UFO is actually an unidentified flying object, not aliens.
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As a Content Writer since January 2025, Daisy’s focus is on writing stories on topics spanning the entirety of the website. As well as writing about EVs, the history of cars, tech, and celebrities, Daisy is always the first to pitch the seed of an idea to the audience editor team, who collab with her to transform it into a fully informative and engaging story.
