Why an Airship Instead of a Conventional Balloon?

- Reliable recovery of payload and lifting gas = less risk and lower long-term cost.

- Ability to maintain constant position in spite of prevailing wind simplifies command and data transmission, facilitates arraying, and allows use for commercial broadcasting & communications, atmospheric study, surveillance, and other applications.

- Ability to maintain constant attitude facilitates extended observations and simplifies tracking routines.

- Transportable and controllable - can be deployed at a specific time and place for observations of rare events.

- Storage and rapid deployment from existing airship hangars - payloads can remain relatively undisturbed between missions.

- Not subject to limitations of a tether. Platform is free to drift during observations or to maintain a specified station.