A successful LTA program demands reliable, accurate buoyancy management.

When passengers or freight are loaded, adding to the weight of the airship, then additional buoyancy must be added.

Conversely, when passengers or freight are unloaded, reducing the weight of the airship, the extra buoyancy must be removed.

This process is referred to as buoyancy management.

The most extreme example of buoyancy management is when a single heavy load is loaded or unloaded, as this represents the point at which the largest volume of buoyant lift gas must be managed within the shortest possible time.

The two most buoyant lift gases are hydrogen and helium, with helium being the popular choice because it’s nonflammable.

A functional buoyancy management system must have the capability to deploy a large volume of lift gas in a short period of time and then, when the additional buoyancy is no longer needed, compress and store that same volume in the shortest time possible.

Storing the lift gas onboard, versus releasing it into the atmosphere, reduces operating costs and guarantees the lift gas is available for the next load.

Interestingly, of the many failed LTA programs, only a couple incorporated a seemingly functional buoyancy management system.

Accurate and timely buoyancy management is a requirement for a successful LTA program and was one of the first problems we solved for our project.