Systems and applications of lighter-than-air (LTA) platforms

摘要

Innovative new methods in connection with lighter-than-air (LTA) free floating platforms, of facilitating legal transmitter operation, platform flight termination when appropriate, environmentally acceptable landing, and recovery of these devices are provided. The new systems and methods relate to rise rate control, geo-location from a LTA platform including landed payload and ground-based vehicle locations, and steerable recovery systems.

主权项

1. A method to steer a steerable system, the method comprising: flying, using a flight control processor, the steerable system in a 360 degree revolution relative to a local wind at the steerable system thereby nullifying a flight vector of the steerable system; and determining, using the flight control processor, a local wind vector of the local wind with respect to a position on the earth without using data obtained from a compass or an air speed indicator.