Patent ID: 7464895

Claim:
A lighter-than-air aircraft comprising: a gas envelope for containing a buoyant gas; a support structure within said gas envelope for moving said gas envelope from a retracted position to an expanded position, said support structure comprising a hoop-truss member, a control member positioned above and coupled to said hoop-truss member, and a first plurality of tie-downs between said control member and a portion of said gas envelope positioned above said control member, with a length of said first plurality of tie-downs being increased as said gas envelope moves from the retracted position to the expanded position; at least one solar panel carried by a predetermined portion of said gas envelope; at least one solar sensor for determining a direction of the sun; and a propulsion system carried by said gas envelope for orienting said gas envelope so that said at least one solar panel is oriented in the direction of the sun based upon said at least one solar sensor to thereby increase solar energy collection efficiency.