A flight vehicle includes a drone with a pair of shaped protrusions mechanically coupled to the drone. One of the shapes is a hollow lift-producing shape, such as being a balloon filed with a lighter-than-air gas, and the other of the shapes is below the drone. The shape below the drone may be a hollow shape that does not produce lift, for example being a balloon filled with air. The shapes may be similar in size and shape, so as to provide similar drag characteristics. The shapes may be opposite ends of a support, such as a stick, rod, or other (relatively) slender structure. The vehicle includes a payload, such as radar calibration equipment or an antenna. The drone may be used to counteract wind forces on the flight vehicle, and/or to otherwise position the flight vehicle.

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.

The technology described here relates to LTA vehicle launch configuration and in-flight optimization. A method for optimizing for an objective of an LTA vehicle launch may include receiving a desired objective, receiving known parameters of the LTA vehicle, including a pressure threshold, performing probabilistic calculations based on the desired objective and the known parameters, the probabilistic calculations configured to model setup parameters and to output probabilities for the setup parameters, the output indicating probabilities that a simulated vehicles would achieve the desired objective. The method also includes selecting a setup parameter value based on a high probability indicated in the output. Also described is an LTA vehicle launch configuration system implementing a thermal model, a physics model, and a fill and ballast tool, including an altitude range estimator, a gas-air estimator, and a pre-flight ballast model.

The technology described here relates to LTA vehicle launch configuration and in-flight optimization. A method for optimizing for an objective of an LTA vehicle launch may include receiving a desired objective, receiving known parameters of the LTA vehicle, including a pressure threshold, performing probabilistic calculations based on the desired objective and the known parameters, the probabilistic calculations configured to model setup parameters and to output probabilities for the setup parameters, the output indicating probabilities that a simulated vehicles would achieve the desired objective. The method also includes selecting a setup parameter value based on a high probability indicated in the output. Also described is an LTA vehicle launch configuration system implementing a thermal model, a physics model, and a fill and ballast tool, including an altitude range estimator, a gas-air estimator, and a pre-flight ballast model.

A towed atmospheric balloon system includes an atmospheric balloon including a quantity of lift gas and a neutral buoyancy towing system coupled with the atmospheric balloon. The neutral buoyancy towing system includes one or more towing thrusters configured to move the towed atmospheric balloon system in a neutrally buoyant condition between altitudes, and a power source operatively coupled with the towing thruster. Wherein a composite mass of the towed atmospheric balloon system includes component masses of the atmospheric balloon and the neutral buoyancy towing system, and the composite mass is static and neutral buoyancy is maintained with movement between altitudes. At differing altitudes the composite mass of the towed atmospheric balloon system is static and the and the system remains neutrally buoyant.

A towed atmospheric balloon system includes an atmospheric balloon including a quantity of lift gas and a neutral buoyancy towing system coupled with the atmospheric balloon. The neutral buoyancy towing system includes one or more towing thrusters configured to move the towed atmospheric balloon system in a neutrally buoyant condition between altitudes, and a power source operatively coupled with the towing thruster. Wherein a composite mass of the towed atmospheric balloon system includes component masses of the atmospheric balloon and the neutral buoyancy towing system, and the composite mass is static and neutral buoyancy is maintained with movement between altitudes. At differing altitudes the composite mass of the towed atmospheric balloon system is static and the and the system remains neutrally buoyant.

Provided is a flight vehicle operating method including: mooring a flight vehicle to a mooring unit by a cable; reducing a weight of the flight vehicle, increasing the flotage of the flight vehicle, or increasing the flotage of the flight vehicle while reducing the weight of the flight vehicle, by using a first flotation adjuster; floating the flight vehicle at a suitable altitude in the air; increasing the weight of the flight vehicle, reducing the flotage of the flight vehicle, or reducing the flotage of the flight vehicle while increasing the weight of the flight vehicle, by using a second flotation adjuster or a propelling unit of the flight vehicle; and releasing the connection between the flight vehicle and the mooring unit and withdrawing the cable.

Provided is a flight vehicle operating method including: mooring a flight vehicle to a mooring unit by a cable; reducing a weight of the flight vehicle, increasing the flotage of the flight vehicle, or increasing the flotage of the flight vehicle while reducing the weight of the flight vehicle, by using a first flotation adjuster; floating the flight vehicle at a suitable altitude in the air; increasing the weight of the flight vehicle, reducing the flotage of the flight vehicle, or reducing the flotage of the flight vehicle while increasing the weight of the flight vehicle, by using a second flotation adjuster or a propelling unit of the flight vehicle; and releasing the connection between the flight vehicle and the mooring unit and withdrawing the cable.

Systems are described for transporting organic material, such as trees and logs, by flight. Such a transportation system may include a remotely-piloted air vehicle, a frame coupled thereto, multiple air vehicles, one or more propellers, a harness, and/or other components. The frame is coupled to both the remotely-piloted air vehicle and to the multiple other air vehicles.

Systems are described for transporting organic material, such as trees and logs, by flight. Such a transportation system may include a remotely-piloted air vehicle, a frame coupled thereto, multiple air vehicles, one or more propellers, a harness, and/or other components. The frame is coupled to both the remotely-piloted air vehicle and to the multiple other air vehicles.