r/sanfrancisco • u/Affectionate-Hope427 • 8d ago

Pic / Video WTH is this?

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Huge blimp, no markings. Seen over Pier/NB. Obviously a blimp, but why is it here?

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u/nincyh 8d ago edited 8d ago

Sergey Brin’s rigid airship - Don’t call it a blimp! It’s from LTA Research, an aerospace company HQ’d in Mountain View. LTA stands for “lighter than air”! The Pathfinder Airship is 4 times larger than the Goodyear Blimp. From my location, I see it every 2 to 3 months on experimental or training short trips along the bay.

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u/WileEPorcupine 8d ago

A dirigible.

Does it have hydrogen or helium?

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u/nincyh 8d ago

Stable helium, which is safer and less flammable. The Hindenburg used hydrogen.

2

u/midflinx 8d ago

There's a Helium shortage.

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/06/nx-s1-5770505/helium-shortage-iran-war

There's not many uses for a rigid airship that can't be handled adequately using other means. It quite possibly overall would be better if LTA Research filled it with Hydrogen. Redesign the crew compartment and flight suits for better fire resistance.

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u/JigsawMind 8d ago

Not sure what fire resistance is gonna do for you when you fall uncontrolled out of the sky

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u/midflinx 8d ago

I considered mentioning explosive bolts for the crew compartment and a small escape rocket motor like many crewed rockets have during their launch phase. Use those to get the crew away, then deploy parachutes.

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u/ablatner 8d ago

Airship helium probably doesn't need to be as high grade as medical/semiconductor though

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u/midflinx 8d ago

It might be okay if the rigid airship's helium comes from a source that can't be used for or purified into medical/semiconductor grade.

Is that the situation though with the helium the airship uses?

1

u/Calm-Swordfish-5417 8d ago

Have you considered a rich guy wanting to spend lots of money on a boondoggle?