Concepts and projects
Not every idea in aviation becomes a product, but concepts shape the industry. In this section we describe projects that push lighter-than-air technology beyond traditional uses: high-altitude platforms intended to hover in the stratosphere for months, and the infrastructure every airship needs on the ground.
We focus on the engineering questions — materials, energy, control — rather than on any particular company's plans.
In this section
High-altitude platform stations: can an airship hover in the stratosphere?
What high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) are, how stratospheric airships compare with solar drones and satellites, and the main engineering challenges.
Airship hangars: the biggest buildings in aviation and their second life as real estate
How airship hangars and docks are designed and built, what they cost, and how giant halls become commercial real estate — from logistics parks to resorts.