Described is an airborne fulfillment center (AFC) and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to deliver items from the AFC to users. For example, the AFC may be an airship that remains at a high altitude (e.g., 45,000 feet) and UAVs with ordered items may be deployed from the AFC to deliver ordered items to user designated delivery locations. As the UAVs descend, they can navigate horizontally toward a user specified delivery location using little to no power, other than to stabilize the UAV and/or guide the direction of descent. Shuttles (smaller airships) may be used to replenish the AFC with inventory, UAVs, supplies, fuel, etc. Likewise, the shuttles may be utilized to transport workers to and from the AFC.

Described is an airborne fulfillment center (AFC) and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to deliver items from the AFC to users. For example, the AFC may be an airship that remains at a high altitude (e.g., 45,000 feet) and UAVs with ordered items may be deployed from the AFC to deliver ordered items to user designated delivery locations. As the UAVs descend, they can navigate horizontally toward a user specified delivery location using little to no power, other than to stabilize the UAV and/or guide the direction of descent. Shuttles (smaller airships) may be used to replenish the AFC with inventory, UAVs, supplies, fuel, etc. Likewise, the shuttles may be utilized to transport workers to and from the AFC.

A hot air balloon steering system for steering a hot air balloon includes a hot air balloon that includes a basket. A stand unit is movably coupled to the basket. The stand unit abuts a support surface thereby facilitating the basket to be spaced from the support surface when the hot air balloon is not in flight. A sail unit is movably coupled to the basket. The sail unit captures air when the hot air balloon is in flight. Moreover, the sail unit steers the hot air balloon when the hot air balloon is in flight.

A system for controlling yaw associated with an airship may include one or more vertical control surfaces associated with the airship, a first power source and a second power source, each configured to provide a thrust associated with the airship, and a yaw control configured to receive an input indicative of a desired yaw angle. The system may further include a controller communicatively connected to the yaw control, the one or more vertical control surfaces, and the first and second power sources. The controller may be configured to receive an output signal from the yaw control corresponding to the desired yaw angle and to generate a control signal configured to modify a state associated with at least one of the one or more vertical control surfaces, the first power source, and the second power source, such that the airship substantially attains the desired yaw angle.

A system for controlling yaw associated with an airship may include one or more vertical control surfaces associated with the airship, a first power source and a second power source, each configured to provide a thrust associated with the airship, and a yaw control configured to receive an input indicative of a desired yaw angle. The system may further include a controller communicatively connected to the yaw control, the one or more vertical control surfaces, and the first and second power sources. The controller may be configured to receive an output signal from the yaw control corresponding to the desired yaw angle and to generate a control signal configured to modify a state associated with at least one of the one or more vertical control surfaces, the first power source, and the second power source, such that the airship substantially attains the desired yaw angle.

Deployable landing gear systems and related methods for vehicles descending from high altitude balloons. A deployable landing gear system may include a support assembly configured to deploy from an undeployed state to a deployed state. The landing support assembly may include a strut and two swing arms. The strut may include an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder, and a compression spring. The outer cylinder may have a compressible material positioned therein. The inner cylinder may be slidably disposed within the outer cylinder. The compression spring may be positioned around the outer cylinder between a fixed first bracket and a slidable second bracket. In response to deployment, the compression spring may compress between the first and second brackets and the inner cylinder may compress the compressible material. The two swing arms may share a common axis of rotation that is offset from the an axis of rotation of the strut.

An intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system is disclosed including a ground station and one or more aerial vehicles. The aerial vehicles are autonomous systems capable of communicating intelligence data to the ground station and be used as part of a missile delivery package. A plurality of aerial vehicles can be configured to cast a wide net of reconnaissance over a large area on the ground including smaller overlapping reconnaissance areas provided by each of the plurality of the aerial vehicles.

This disclosure relates to a system that provides an environmentally friendly method to clean air over towns and cities. The system utilizes tourmaline filters and rocks, sunlight, and water to simulate the cleaning properties of waterfalls in order to create an ionized surface within a cylindrical tube and creates raindrops and mist to simulate precipitation. The system eliminates pollutants instead of transferring them to the surrounding environment.

A system and method for transporting and distributing hydrogen, reducing the risk of hydrogen leakage, maintaining a record of provenance, and measuring and recording its purity level as it flows from source to destination to assure it complies with a predetermined range of values. The system includes a hydrogen delivery line made from metallic or non-metallic pipe that may be placed inside a safety pipe such that a channel is formed between an exterior of the hydrogen delivery line and an interior of the safety pipe. A sweeper gas or liquid may be injected into the channel to purge any hydrogen that might escape from the hydrogen delivery line, and one or more sensors may be used to detect and avoid the presence of an unacceptable level of hydrogen, or to stop the flow of hydrogen and remediate the problem well before a safety or environmental risk can occur.

An airship is provided. The airship includes a hull configured to contain a gas, at least one propulsion assembly coupled to the hull and including a propulsion device, and at least one aerodynamic component including a plurality of fairing structures including one or more slats, wherein the at least one aerodynamic component is associated with the hull and is configured to direct airflow around the airship.