A lighter-than-air airship that is more than half again the length of the Airbus A380 has taken its first flight and is in continued testing. Dubbed “Pathfinder 1,” the 408-foot long ship is being pushed by its developer, LTA Research, as a future tool for humanitarian missions.
Equipped with 13 helium bags, twelve electric motors and four fin rudders, the ship is based at Moffett Field near Palo Alto. Backed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, it’s only a little more modest than the rocket efforts of his fellow billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Huge as it is, it’s only half the length of the 1930s era Zeppelins.
LTA says the ship would be ideal for humanitarian missions such as disaster relief, especially in remote areas where access could be a challenge, especially after a disaster. The ship is built to withstand winds as strong as a Category Oe hurricane. In addition to delivering supplies, it could also have in an area and provide cellphone and internet service if towers were knocked out.
