Uploaded December 2009 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sanswire-TAO video of a Dec. 18 demonstration of the initial test version of its STS-111 unmanned airship at Stuttgart, Germany. The STS-111 is a segmented airship, designed to "wiggle" with the wind to make it easier to launch and recover. Only the first segment, to which the engine and payload attach, is filled with helium for bouyancy: the other segments contain "fuel gas", a neutrally bouyant mixture that fuels the engine. The propulsion system provides thrust vectoring for flight control. L-3 Communications has teamed with Sanswire to market surveillance services using the airship.
Sanswire-TAO video of a Dec. 18 demonstration of the initial test version of its STS-111 unmanned airship at Stuttgart, Germany. The STS-111 is a segmented airship, designed to "wiggle" with the wind to make it easier to launch and recover. Only the first segment, to which the engine and payload attach, is filled with helium for bouyancy: the other segments contain "fuel gas", a neutrally bouyant mixture that fuels the engine. The propulsion system provides thrust vectoring for flight control. L-3 Communications has teamed with Sanswire to market surveillance services using the airship.
