How the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system became Metal Gear Solid's secret weapon

For a series as full of fan service as Metal Gear Solid, it's still surprising to see a sheep attached to a balloon take off as a meme. Pun intended

The surprise star of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system (or STARS), an experimental technology dating back to the 1950s that allowed a covert operative be airlifted out of hostile territory by an aeroplane travelling at low altitude.

The STARS fit nicely into the world of Metal Gear Solid, with its mixture of cutting-edge real-world tech and science fiction gadgets, and at first glance, it is so bizarre that it seems like it could only have come from the fictional side of the divide.