Everything You Need to Know About Aerostats

What is an aerostat? It is a payload-carrying balloon filled with helium. Aerostats can be used for aerial 24/7 surveillance and communications. They are reliable and safe. The main components of an aerostat are a lightweight skin that contains a lifting gas and one or more gasbags.

Payload Carrying Capacity

An aerostat can lift a weight that is beyond its weight and the weight of its tether. It is commonly used to carry a camera and any supporting system. Therefore, you can use an aerostat to carry lights, computers, communication devices, and portable power sources with your camera.

Size and Volume

The size of the aerostat matters. This is because you can only use larger aerostats to carry heavier payloads and they can stay airborne in higher altitudes for longer periods of time. However, smaller aerostats cannot canny heavy payloads and they cannot stay airborne in higher altitudes for long.

Operational Altitude

Aerostats operate above ground, so they can only carry the designated payload weight above ground. However, the operational altitude of the aerostat changes with external conditions, including air pressure. And some aerostats cannot reach certain altitudes because of system limitations.

Tether or Untethered

A tether is a specialized cable for anchoring and connecting an aerostat to an anchor unit on the ground. You can tether your aerostat to a mobile unit or a stationary base. That is why you can tether it to your vehicle. You can leave some aerostats untethered, just like flyable airships.

Shape

Aerostats come in various aerodynamic shapes. The shapes of these aerostats include; round shapes, square shapes, and others are shaped like a fish, kite, or pumpkin. These shapes come with their pros and cons. You need to consider these pros and cons before choosing your aerostat.

These are everything you need to know about aerostats.