A lighter-than-air airship has an exoskeleton constructed of spokes and hubs to create a set of connected hexagrams comprised of isosceles triangles wherein the spokes flex and vary in length to produce the slope of said airship's surface. In one embodiment, the exoskeleton connects to a nose cone that includes a cockpit cabin for controlling the airship's operation from a single location that can be physically separated from the exoskeleton in response to catastrophic events and for autonomous and/or remotely piloted operation. An improved means is also provided for landing and unloading cargo, and through use of unmanned aerial vehicles in another embodiment, the airship is configured for remote pickup, transport, delivery and return of payloads such as packages. In yet another embodiment, the airship provides a communications platform for beam form transmission and satellite signal relay, including in combination with the foregoing disclosed attributes.

An anchoring vehicle for anchoring an airship at the tail while coupled to a mooring mast at the bow. Airships are generally coupled at the bow to a mooring-mast after landing on the ground. However, vertical gusts can result to a considerable amount of damage to the airship with this mechanism. To avoid such damage, the proposed anchoring mechanism designed as an anchoring vehicle, is coupled via an anchor-mast to the tail of the airship near the height of its middle axis. Thus, the vehicle stabilizes the airship vertically and can independently maneuver horizontally without considerable rolling resistance to a predefined airship position, thus preventing a tilting moment. The all-terrain, autonomous anchoring vehicle captures direction and strength data of horizontal deflection caused by wind power via sensors on the anchoring-mast. A control unit regulates the drive systems for navigation and wheel drive.

An anchoring vehicle for anchoring an airship at the tail while coupled to a mooring mast at the bow. Airships are generally coupled at the bow to a mooring-mast after landing on the ground. However, vertical gusts can result to a considerable amount of damage to the airship with this mechanism. To avoid such damage, the proposed anchoring mechanism designed as an anchoring vehicle, is coupled via an anchor-mast to the tail of the airship near the height of its middle axis. Thus, the vehicle stabilizes the airship vertically and can independently maneuver horizontally without considerable rolling resistance to a predefined airship position, thus preventing a tilting moment. The all-terrain, autonomous anchoring vehicle captures direction and strength data of horizontal deflection caused by wind power via sensors on the anchoring-mast. A control unit regulates the drive systems for navigation and wheel drive.

A system for docking an aerostat on a receiving structure, including an unmanned aerial vehicle that can be controlled so as to move between the aerostat and the receiving structure, carrying a first end of a cable that has a second end fixed to the aerostat or the receiving structure, and to attach said first end to the receiving structure or to the aerostat such that the cable connects the aerostat to the receiving structure.

A system for docking an aerostat on a receiving structure, including an unmanned aerial vehicle that can be controlled so as to move between the aerostat and the receiving structure, carrying a first end of a cable that has a second end fixed to the aerostat or the receiving structure, and to attach said first end to the receiving structure or to the aerostat such that the cable connects the aerostat to the receiving structure.

A compact port with a simple mechanism that can improve reliability during load receiving while keeping costs low. A port of the disclosure is a port having a load-receiving part that rotates around a rotating axis extending at least in a vertical direction, wherein the load-receiving part rotates by switching between a load receiving mode and a standby mode based on an external control signal.

A compact port with a simple mechanism that can improve reliability during load receiving while keeping costs low. A port of the disclosure is a port having a load-receiving part that rotates around a rotating axis extending at least in a vertical direction, wherein the load-receiving part rotates by switching between a load receiving mode and a standby mode based on an external control signal.

A portable launch rig (PLR) may include a support structure including two side supports defining an interior space for lifting and filling a balloon envelope of a balloon. Wheels on each of the side supports enable the PLR to be moved in various directions in order to prepare the PLR for launching the balloon. The side supports are connected by a lateral support beam having a pair of cranes arranged thereon. Each crane has an arm arranged over the interior space that is connected to a spreader beam. The spreader beam includes a lift assembly configured to lift and inflate the balloon envelope within the interior space. The PLR includes a platform and perch for supporting and moving the balloon envelope. A door assembly of the PLR includes a plurality of hangar doors configured to block wind from a respective direction of each hangar door entering the interior space.

A portable launch rig (PLR) may include a support structure including two side supports defining an interior space for lifting and filling a balloon envelope of a balloon. Wheels on each of the side supports enable the PLR to be moved in various directions in order to prepare the PLR for launching the balloon. The side supports are connected by a lateral support beam having a pair of cranes arranged thereon. Each crane has an arm arranged over the interior space that is connected to a spreader beam. The spreader beam includes a lift assembly configured to lift and inflate the balloon envelope within the interior space. The PLR includes a platform and perch for supporting and moving the balloon envelope. A door assembly of the PLR includes a plurality of hangar doors configured to block wind from a respective direction of each hangar door entering the interior space.

An easy extention of a telescopic rod. The telescopic rod extends in the axial direction by a gas forcibly fed to the inside and is provided with a posture control means.