The airborne vehicle recovery method and apparatus enables radiosonde users to reliably recover launched radiosondes and provides new and unique opportunities for research and data acquisition with balloon launched radiosondes. Airborne vehicles such as radiosondes are disposed in a flight body adapted for propulsionless, gliding navigation for returning to one of several designated landing sites for recovery. Onboard electronics including a navigation computer, flight computer, and lightweight battery are employed for selecting a landing site, computing a heading and direction, and actuating flaps for pursuing a propulsionless, gliding path to the landing site. Gliding is directed only by right and left flaps responsive to respective actuators, such that the inclusion of only the actuators, navigation and flight electronics, and without active propulsion, enables sufficient gliding range from the lightweight construction and arrangement to reach one of several landing sites for effecting substantial recovery rates of the radiosondes.

To record an interesting image. An information processing apparatus includes an imaging unit and a control unit. The imaging unit is provided at a flight vehicle which moves in air by utilizing gas lighter than air and is configured to image a subject to generate image data. The control unit is configured to perform control movement of the flight vehicle on the basis of at least one of information relating to the flight vehicle and information of surroundings of the flight vehicle, and to perform control to record the image data generated by the imaging unit.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to flight termination systems for tethered aerial vehicles having envelopes. For instance, a flight termination system may include a wire heating element arranged in a loop around the balloon envelope and connected to a strain relief connector, the strain relief connector, and an electrical cable connected to the strain relief connector. The electrical cable is configured to provide current to the wire in order to melt envelope material of the envelope and terminate a flight of the aerial vehicle.

An example reusable high-altitude balloon system includes a control system configured to initiate a termination sequence by separating a payload from an Earth-facing end of the balloon body. Separation of the payload from the balloon body generates a torque that causes the balloon body to invert and release lift gas through a vent duct, initiating a flight termination sequence that facilitates landing of the reusable balloon system without destroying the balloon body.

A method of automating entry of an aircraft into autorotation includes detecting a loss of engine power, analyzing a sensed height and sensed airspeed of the aircraft, determining an adjusted position of one or more control surfaces of the aircraft in response to the sensed height and sensed airspeed, and automatically moving the one or more control surfaces to the adjusted position.

A system for altitude control of an autogyro includes an unpowered rotor for generating lift and a forward propulsion system for generating a horizontal thrust component of a thrust vector for propelling the autogyro forward during flight. The system for altitude control also includes at least one thrust steering control devices configured to steer thrust generated by the forward propulsion system such that the forward propulsion system generates a vertical thrust component of the thrust vector.

A control system for an atmospheric balloon system includes a navigation parameter system having a meteorological characteristic input, a balloon kinematic monitor, an objective input and a parameter range generator configured to generate an altitude search range for the atmospheric balloon system based on air stream vectors, balloon kinematics, and a target balloon position. An onboard balloon control system is in communication with the navigation parameter system and includes a comparator to determine a course difference of a measured course relative to a course range. An altitude selection module selects a target altitude within the altitude search range having an air stream vector that decreases the course difference. A propulsion selection module is configured to select a propulsion value that decreases the course difference.

A method of assembling a delivery payload assembly configured to be deployed from an aircraft and travel along a flight path to a predetermined landing destination includes attaching a tail-kit assembly to a first end of a payload, the tail-kit assembly including a rotor blade assembly including a plurality of rotor blades having a central axis of rotation, and a flight control and navigation system configured to control a collective pitch angle of each of the plurality of rotor blades of the rotor blade assembly, configured to control an axial thrust force of the rotor blade assembly, the axial thrust force being at an angle with respect to the central axis of rotation of the rotor blade assembly, and configured to navigate the delivery payload assembly along the flight path to the predetermined landing destination. The method further includes removing the tail-kit assembly from the payload after the payload is delivered to the predetermined landing destination.

The technology described here relates to LTA vehicle launch configuration and in-flight optimization. A method for automated ballast dropping by an LTA vehicle in flight may include receiving, by an in-flight ballast model, an initial lift gas fill amount and an initial ballast amount, generating altitude ranges based on a remaining lift gas amount and a current system mass of the LTA vehicle to determine whether the remaining lift gas amount is within a ballast drop lift gas range, determining whether a convergence criterion for the remaining lift gas amount is met, the convergence criterion indicating a convergence between a remaining lift gas estimate and a remaining lift gas model, determining that dropping a ballast increment will not decrease an overall ballast amount below a target ballast amount corresponding to the remaining lift gas amount, and causing the LTA vehicle to drop the ballast increment.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for operating a gliding parachute/kite. The gliding parachute/kite has a wing with a flexible material, and a set of suspension lines adapted for coupling a load to the wing, such that the coupling is configurable in any one of a plurality of possible states based on relative lengths of the suspension lines. In some implementations, the possible states include a first state enabling gliding in a first direction, and a second state enabling gliding in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. Reversing direction is possible with the first and second states. Additionally, or alternatively, the possible states include a spinning state enabling spinning of the gliding parachute/kite. Adjusting a rate of decent is possible with the spinning. Reversing direction and/or spinning operations can be used to improve control of trajectory.