Patent ID: 8645005

Claim:
A method for managing a network of lighter than air (LTA) vehicles comprising: determining desired components for a first mission; assembling one or more LTA vehicles from the desired components wherein assembly is performed from a mobile platform; programming the one or more LTA vehicles from a network of LTA vehicles; deploying the one or more LTA vehicles from the network of LTA vehicles; monitoring the one or more LTA vehicle from the network of LTA vehicles; exploiting payload data from the one or more LTA vehicles from the network of LTA vehicles; reprovisioning the one or more LTA vehicles from the network of LTA vehicles; repositioning the one or more LTA vehicles from the network of LTA vehicles; retrieving the one or more LTA vehicles from the network of LTA vehicles; stowing the one or more LTA vehicles from the network of LTA vehicles; and re-determining desired components for a second mission; wherein the determining of the desired components and the re-determining of the desired components comprises selecting desired components from a plurality of modular components, and wherein selecting desired components from a plurality of modular components comprises: selecting an envelope based on gas selected and payload requirements from among a plurality of different sized envelopes; selecting fins from among a plurality of fins; selecting wings from among a plurality of wings; selecting a gondola based on mission length and stability and maneuverability, requirements from among a conformal gondola with keel, a conformal gondola pith spine, and a non-conformal gondola; and selecting a propulsion means based on mission noise and payload requirements from among an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.