The invention provides an inexpensive means of transporting people and objects to altitudes of 10,000 meters or more. Flying System 1 has Balloon 11, Suspension Lines 12 hanging downwards from Balloon 11, and Cabin 13 attached to the lower ends of Suspension Lines 12. The main body of Cabin 13 consists of laminated walls that include a fiber-reinforced plastic layer that keeps Cabin 13 watertight and airtight and also serves to maintain the shape of Cabin 13, an ultra-violet-rays blocking layer that reduces the amount of ultra-violet-rays transmitted into Cabin 13, an insulation layer that reduces the amount of heat conducted from the inside to the outside of Cabin 13, and an adhesive layer that enters and seals a crack or hole in the fiber-reinforced plastic layer when the crack or hole appears. The side walls of the main body of Cabin 13 have two hatches located opposite each other.

Gas Replacement System (GRS) produces lighter than air lift gas from ammonia to enable balloon launch and/or to extend the flight durations of balloons. The GRS produces lighter than air lift gas by dissociating all or part of an ammonia supply into a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen. The GRS can be used to launch balloons from the ground and/or produce gas for airborne balloons to extend their flight duration. In one embodiment, a GRS includes a tank containing ammonia (e.g., liquid ammonia), a reactor, and a controller operable to direct a release of the ammonia from the tank to the reactor. The controller is also operable to direct the reactor to dissociate at least a portion of the ammonia into a lift gas and exhaust the lift gas from the reactor into the balloon for inflation, the lift gas comprising nitrogen and hydrogen.

Systems and methods are described for sequestering carbon stored in organic matter while minimizing the release of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) and methane (CH.sub.4) into the atmosphere, with the carbon (C) being stored as char or coal through the coalification process. Organic matter will be moved to submarine hydrothermal vent fields where the extreme heat in the water will drastically accelerate the degradation of the material and destroy microbes that normally consume the organic material and release the carbon as CO.sub.2 or CH.sub.4. The oxygen level in the heated water around the vents is extremely low. The water surrounding these vents can reach temperatures of 400° C. (750° F.). Exemplary implementations may include constructing hydrothermal borehole vents to harness the energy continuously released from the Earth's core in the form of volcanic heat.

Systems and methods are described for sequestering carbon stored in organic matter while minimizing the release of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) and methane (CH.sub.4) into the atmosphere, with the carbon (C) being stored as char or coal through the coalification process. Organic matter will be moved to submarine hydrothermal vent fields where the extreme heat in the water will drastically accelerate the degradation of the material and destroy microbes that normally consume the organic material and release the carbon as CO.sub.2 or CH.sub.4. The oxygen level in the heated water around the vents is extremely low. The water surrounding these vents can reach temperatures of 400° C. (750° F.). Exemplary implementations may include constructing hydrothermal borehole vents to harness the energy continuously released from the Earth's core in the form of volcanic heat.

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.

A balloon system includes a balloon having a balloon membrane extending between an upper apex and a lower apex opening. The lower apex opening extends through the balloon membrane at a balloon lip. A ballonet is within the balloon. The ballonet is coupled with the balloon membrane at the lower apex opening. The ballonet includes a lower ballonet panel having a lower perimeter edge and a ballonet orifice extending through the lower ballonet panel at a ballonet lip and an upper ballonet panel having an upper perimeter edge. The upper and lower ballonet panels are coupled along the respective upper and lower perimeter edges. A lower apex fitting couples the ballonet with the balloon at the balloon lip of the lower apex opening.

A balloon system includes a balloon having a balloon membrane extending between an upper apex and a lower apex opening. The lower apex opening extends through the balloon membrane at a balloon lip. A ballonet is within the balloon. The ballonet is coupled with the balloon membrane at the lower apex opening. The ballonet includes a lower ballonet panel having a lower perimeter edge and a ballonet orifice extending through the lower ballonet panel at a ballonet lip and an upper ballonet panel having an upper perimeter edge. The upper and lower ballonet panels are coupled along the respective upper and lower perimeter edges. A lower apex fitting couples the ballonet with the balloon at the balloon lip of the lower apex opening.

A cargo airship is disclosed. The cargo airship may include a hull configured to contain a gas and at least one propulsion assembly coupled to the airship and including a propulsion device. The cargo airship may further include a payload bay comprising an external cargo area located outside of the hull. The cargo airship may also include a cargo handling system including at least one hoisting mechanism configured to lift cargo into the external cargo area while the airship is hovering.

A cargo airship is disclosed. The cargo airship may include a hull configured to contain a gas and at least one propulsion assembly coupled to the airship and including a propulsion device. The cargo airship may further include a payload bay comprising an external cargo area located outside of the hull. The cargo airship may also include a cargo handling system including at least one hoisting mechanism configured to lift cargo into the external cargo area while the airship is hovering.