UFO or Blimp?

from proportions I'd say airship

nice pic whatever tis

Thanks for posting this.

a reply to: checkers101

originally posted by: Sanitarium79
a reply to: DaRAGE

When I saw that pictures I remebered something I saw some years ago - so I went to search.

There is a company that I first don`t remembered that has announced something very similar.
If this pictures are real there is a high chance we look at a early version of StratoBus - it was annouced to fly before 2020 but didn`t arrive yet. The company is called Thales and they said this thing would be ready by now.

Here are some renders from the concept back then:

www.thalesgroup.com...

Yeah that looks like it exactly.

Well done! ;-p

I think you nailed it.

It appears to be a Chinese Yuanmeng high altitude sensor platform. It's designed to operate between 65,000 and over 320,000 feet and is solar powered. It first flew over Mongolia in 2015.

thediplomat.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Not unless its flying upside down according to the tail fin orientation ?

a reply to: chunder

That was a concept drawing. It's been seven years since it first flew. Designs tend to change once they start testing and find issues or more efficient configurations. It may also be a different version, similar to how aircraft have different versions as times goes on. They've also tested more than one type, so it may be the second type. Only the concept drawings of the Yuanmeng have been seen to date.


ETA: It may also be a Tian Meng, which is another unmanned high altitude design they're working on. Both have reportedly flown, but not much is publicly known about them beyond that.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
It appears to be a Chinese Yuanmeng high altitude sensor platform. It's designed to operate between 65,000 and over 320,000 feet and is solar powered. It first flew over Mongolia in 2015.

thediplomat.com...

Just to clarify a point:

The Chinese have designed a lighter than air vehicle (an Airship) capable of operating Above 320,000 feet?

The Karman Line, the semi-official boundary line between the Earth's atmosphere and space, is just slightly higher at approximately 328,000 feet.

So, China has a Near Space LAV-based ISR platform?


Stick a booster on that thing (and an orbital maneuvering package) and you've got a very cheap, reusable launch system.


It's not how fast you need to go to space,

It's only how fast you need to go once you get to space in order to stay in orbit.

a reply to: Mantiss2021

I'd take that with a big grain of salt, but that's what they claim. IF true though, that's a huge advantage for ISR.