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.

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 atmospheric balloon descent system includes a system housing having a drogue chamber containing a drogue chute and a parachute chamber containing a parachute. The parachute coupled with the drogue chute with a drogue tether. A riser tether extends between a descent system end portion and a balloon system end portion, and the descent system end portion is coupled with the parachute. A drogue cover release is coupled between the riser tether and the drogue cover. The descent system transitions between riser deployment and parachute deployment configurations. In the riser deployment configuration the system housing is decoupled from the atmospheric balloon system and the riser tether is deployed between the system housing and the atmospheric balloon system. In the parachute deployment configuration the deployed riser tether opens the drogue chamber and deploys the drogue chute and the deployed drogue chute opens the parachute chamber and deploys the parachute.

An atmospheric balloon descent system includes a system housing having a drogue chamber containing a drogue chute and a parachute chamber containing a parachute. The parachute coupled with the drogue chute with a drogue tether. A riser tether extends between a descent system end portion and a balloon system end portion, and the descent system end portion is coupled with the parachute. A drogue cover release is coupled between the riser tether and the drogue cover. The descent system transitions between riser deployment and parachute deployment configurations. In the riser deployment configuration the system housing is decoupled from the atmospheric balloon system and the riser tether is deployed between the system housing and the atmospheric balloon system. In the parachute deployment configuration the deployed riser tether opens the drogue chamber and deploys the drogue chute and the deployed drogue chute opens the parachute chamber and deploys the parachute.

Described herein are features for a high altitude lighter-than-air (LTA) system and associated methods. A zero-pressure balloon (ZPB) is attached in tandem with one or more air super-pressure balloons (SPB). The ZPB provides lift for the system while the SPB may provide a variable amount of ballast air by pumping in or expelling out ambient air. Various advanced performance targets relating to ascent rate, descent rate, range and maximum altitude are achievable with various scaled versions of the basic design of the LTA system. Advanced navigation and control techniques, such as more efficient high altitude station-keeping approaches, made possible with the LTA system are also described.

Described herein are features for a high altitude lighter-than-air (LTA) system and associated methods. A zero-pressure balloon (ZPB) is attached in tandem with one or more air super-pressure balloons (SPB). The ZPB provides lift for the system while the SPB may provide a variable amount of ballast air by pumping in or expelling out ambient air. Various advanced performance targets relating to ascent rate, descent rate, range and maximum altitude are achievable with various scaled versions of the basic design of the LTA system. Advanced navigation and control techniques, such as more efficient high altitude station-keeping approaches, made possible with the LTA system are also described.

A method of fabricating a high-altitude balloon. The method includes coextruding at least two adjacent continuous layers of extrudate, extrusion-bonding the layers of extrudate to one another along an edge of the sheets of extrudate to form a seam, and cooling the extrudate.

A method of fabricating a high-altitude balloon. The method includes coextruding at least two adjacent continuous layers of extrudate, extrusion-bonding the layers of extrudate to one another along an edge of the sheets of extrudate to form a seam, and cooling the extrudate.

Described herein are features for a high altitude lighter-than-air (LTA) system and associated methods. A zero-pressure balloon (ZPB) is attached in tandem with one or more variable ballast air super-pressure balloons (SPB). The ZPB provides lift for the system while the SPB uses a centrifugal compressor to provide a variable amount of ballast air by pumping in or expelling out ambient air. Various advanced performance targets relating to ascent rate, descent rate, range and maximum altitude are achievable with various scaled versions of the basic design of the LTA system. Advanced navigation and control techniques, such as more efficient high altitude station-keeping approaches, made possible with the LTA system are also described.

Described herein are features for a high altitude lighter-than-air (LTA) system and associated methods. A zero-pressure balloon (ZPB) is attached in tandem with one or more variable ballast air super-pressure balloons (SPB). The ZPB provides lift for the system while the SPB uses a centrifugal compressor to provide a variable amount of ballast air by pumping in or expelling out ambient air. Various advanced performance targets relating to ascent rate, descent rate, range and maximum altitude are achievable with various scaled versions of the basic design of the LTA system. Advanced navigation and control techniques, such as more efficient high altitude station-keeping approaches, made possible with the LTA system are also described.