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Meeting	ACGS Committee Meeting 98 - Williamsburg - October 2006
Agenda Location	8 SUBCOMMITTEE D - DYNAMICS, COMPUTATIONS AND ANALYSIS 8.1 Station-Keeping Performance of a Large High-Altitude Notional Airship
Title	Station-Keeping Performance of a Large High-Altitude Notional Airship
Presenter	Prof. David. K. Schmidt
Affiliation	University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Available Downloads*	presentation
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Abstract	There is growing worldwide interest in utilizing autonomous flight vehicles as platforms operating for extended periods of time at very high altitudes to achieve mission objectives heretofore accomplished using spacecraft. Using such vehicles in this manner is referred to as a “near-space” solution to a mission requirement, as apposed to a “space-based” solution. Key technological advances have made near-space solutions more viable. Such advances include ultra-lightweight materials and solar-power technology. And near-space vehicular concepts include heavier-that-air (UAV’s) and lighter-than-air (airships), or hybrid designs that rely on both aerodynamic lift and buoyancy. A critical feasibility issue is the requirement for autonomous station keeping, involving the ability to remain fixed over a geo-location in the presence of winds. After an introduction to the promise of near space, and what we mean by near space, this presentation will focus on the analysis of the winds and the station-keeping performance of a large, notional, solar-powered, near-space vehicle. The analysis will include a power-available/power required assessment, as well as an analysis if the attitude dynamics and control of such vehicles. It is shown that the vehicle is very power limited in general, and control-power limited in general, and this issue is critical to the feasibility of the concept.