Just the other day, the giant rocket of Musk's SpaceX (Space Exploration Technology Corporation) made another test flight, flying farther than the previous two attempts, but lost contact on the return to Earth. Humanity is still far from the goal of flying the universe on a starship, but airship travel that is cooler than airplane travel is already on the way!
Airships have been the embodiment of inventors' innovative spirit for centuries and had a golden age in the early days of aviation. In recent years, commercial airships are making a comeback, and airships that can circumnavigate the world could appear as early as 2026, are you interested in taking a ride?
A short-lived golden age
In 1782, the Montgolfeld brothers of France invented the world's first hot-air balloon and began the human exploration of lift-off navigation. But this flying device could only be filled with hot air, and all the inventors of the time knew that hydrogen was lighter than air. So the French inventor Jacques Charles began research to try to make hot air balloons better, and he filled the balloon with hydrogen in the expectation that it would fly higher than a balloon filled with only hot air, and this is exactly what happened. On December 1, 1783, Jacques Charles and Nicolas-Louis Robert made a manned flight in their second hydrogen balloon.
Of course, that's just hydrogen balloons. It's great, but people can't really maneuver it to fly anywhere. In 1852, the French engineer Henri Giffard elongated the shape of the balloon, strapped a steam-powered engine to the propeller and took off. This new device allowed him to literally maneuver the balloon through the sky, and he flew 17 miles and reached a top speed of 5 miles per hour. Thus was born the "airship".
Fast forward to 1900, when gasoline-powered engines had been invented and used to sustain airship flights. German officer Ferdinand Zeppelin invented a new airship equipped with 17 hydrogen batteries, two engines, two propellers and a sturdy aluminum frame...... We officially met the Zeppelin.
After that, airships became the preferred mode of transportation, reaching their peak in the 1930s. But unexpectedly, in 1937, the USS Hindenburg (Hindenburg) caught fire and crashed in New Jersey, USA, which is also known as the "Hindenburg Air Disaster". It was soon replaced by the emerging civil aircraft.
Slow travel for sustainable aviation
The reason why most people don't like to fly is because there is limited space on the plane, and it is inevitable that they will be tired on a long flight. And the speed of the plane is very advantageous for getting where you want to go in less time, but it is not so friendly for those who are looking for slow travel. What's more, airplanes emit a lot of pollution into the air every day. According to statistics, aircraft emit up to 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year, which is more than the total emissions of most countries in the world.
Carbon dioxide is the main part of greenhouse gases and the highest emitter, and the resulting greenhouse effect is causing global warming. In order to mitigate and eliminate these adverse effects and adhere to the need for sustainable development, people have put forward low-carbon, zero-carbon and other life concepts, reducing carbon emissions and reducing the greenhouse effect are issues for all mankind. This has led to increasing pressure from governments and environmental groups on the commercial air travel industry, potentially limiting its development.
Compared to aircraft, airships offer lower operating costs, lower infrastructure requirements, significantly lower carbon emissions, and a more comfortable flying experience.
In recent years, as we seek to address climate change and meet carbon goals, a group of airship companies around the world are looking to build a new generation of airships that are safer and faster, trying to lead the future of sustainable aviation, achieving a zero carbon footprint in the sky, and perhaps on the verge of disrupting the way we travel.
United Kingdom· Airlander
The UK's Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has developed the Airlander with the goal of drastically reducing aviation emissions, and its flagship product, the Airlander 10, is likely to be the world's largest aviation aircraft. At 92 meters long, it looks like a hybrid of an airplane, an airship and a helicopter, and is more than 20 meters longer than an Airbus A380 airliner. The Airlander 10, which can carry about 130 people, uses non-flammable helium for buoyancy and four kerosene-powered reciprocating engines as propulsion, cruising at 50 to 70 knots, and the system will consume 90% less fuel than an aircraft of similar size.
In addition, it will also feature several suites for the regal crowd to complement their ability to stay in the air for five days. The speed of an airship is much slower as compared to flying in an airplane. The average flight speed of a modern jetliner is around 800-850 km/h, while the Airlander flies at a speed of about 129 km/h.
At the moment, the Spanish airline Air Nostrum has announced an order for 10 "Airlander 10s", which are expected to be delivered in 2026.
美国· Pathfinder1
Google co-founder Sergey Brin's LTA Research is an interesting project that has focused on the recovery of airships in recent years. Founded in 2015, LTA is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and is also located in the Goodyear Airport Hangar in Akron, Ohio. LTA plans to build a large, rigid-frame zeppelin, called "Pathfinder1", with the goal of advancing the cause with new technologies and zero emissions.
The shell of the airship is made of laminated, non-flammable Tedlar material. It is buoyant by 13 helium-filled and polyurethane-coated ripstop nylon bags. Propulsion is provided by 12 electric propellers. The airship's propulsion motors can rotate from -180 degrees to +180 degrees and provide vector thrust and position control. The airship is controlled by simple joystick commands and operated by fly-by-wire system.
In addition to the electric motors, it also uses a pair of 150-kilowatt diesel generators, although plans are to eventually replace them with hydrogen fuel cells. The airship has a top speed of about 120 km/h, can accommodate up to 14 passengers, and carries about 2-5 tons of cargo.
瑞典· OceanSky
The Swedish company OceanSky Cruises is a prime example of an attempt to restore an airship to its former glory. OceanSky's vision for the airship is that it can carry up to 16 visitors and 7 crew members, and is designed as a flying luxury hotel with panoramic windows.
OceanSky Cruises has announced plans for an Arctic expedition with weekly flights from Longyearbyen, Svalbard. OceanSky's airship resembles a luxury hotel, with lounges, panoramic windows and just 8 luxurious cabins. The estimated cost of the 38-hour journey for two people is about $210,000.
The company also offers another route where the airship will float over South Africa, giving passengers the opportunity to see the region's well-known attractions up close, including the desert of Namibia, Victoria Falls, the Okavango Delta, and the white sand beaches of the Indian Ocean.
There are two main reasons for the "short-lived" glory of traditional airships and their subsequent withdrawal from the stage of history: First, the inherent safety problems of airships. Disasters such as the Hindenburg air crash in 1937 and a similar British R101 tragedy in 1930 shook public trust in airships. The second is the airship's sensitivity to bad weather, which makes it vulnerable to strong winds, storms, and turbulence due to its large surface area and slower speed.
So will the new airship be able to solve these problems and gain a foothold in the air travel market?
Written by Xiao Pu
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