The article is downplaying the impact of this project but from what I know in the industry (I work in tech), a company that has the resources to start moonshot project don't typically cancel them unless they're hurt elsewhere.
Is Google running into financial trouble too?
Monkey Werx mentioned on his last video that project loon stopped being an internet service and was spun off as an observation/spying service. Not sure what the source is for that statement but it wouldn't surprise me. Also wouldn't surprise me if project loon was a cover to get people used to surveillance balloons similar to life log becoming Facebook.