Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

High-Altitude 'Security Blimps' Coming Soon

Posted by michael on from the sky-is-the-limit dept.

quackking writes "The AP is reporting (in New York Newsday) that the Georgia Tech spinoff company TechSphere has sold their concept of immense (300 foot diameter), high altitude spherical surveillance blimps to the honchos at Fort Benning, GA, and production is beginning now! (more here.) These things are as big as a 30-story building. Meanwhile Lockheed-Martin is working on gigantic 500-foot long robot blimps, (and more here.) This would be 25 times the size of the well-known Goodyear blimp. Says Mayor Don Plusquellic, 'For Akron, it's a very emotional thing.'"

16 of 378 comments (clear)

  1. wee! More cash for armament. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny


    "Our Proud & Patriotic Security Blimps will roam the country in Freedom Flotillas keeping evildoers at bay."

    - John Ashcroft

  2. Bounce wireless off big brother... by KodaK · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Hey, fine. As long as we get to put an antenna on it and use it for wireless access.

    --
    --J(K) DOS is like Unix in exactly the same way that a pinto is like an aircraft carrier.
    1. Re:Bounce wireless off big brother... by The_Mystic_For_Real · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In the article it says that they will be used by the telecommunications industry. It does not specify what they will be used for but it states that the key ability involved is the ability to remain over one spot. I would imagine they could use it as a temporary transmiter in areas that have lost wireless communications services.

      --

      _____

      Thank you.

  3. Techology has gone full circle by StateOfTheUnion · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Weren't surveillance blimps all the rage during WW-I ? . . . Nearly a century later and we've gone full circle . . .

    1. Re:Techology has gone full circle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
      And IIRC Japan used fire-balloons against Hawaii?

      No, not just against Hawaii. They sent hundreds (or thousands?) of hydrogen balloons, to which they had attached simple fire bomb(s) towards mainland US. Intention was to try to start forest firest and other damages, and in general create terror in civilian population (ie. demoralize enemy). There was a very interesting documentary about that campaign; campaign itself was VERY top secret during WWII (esp. on US side). For once censorship did succeed; it (lack of news related to balloons) convinced japanese that plan wasn't working. Too bad there were actual casualties -- in couple of cases kids died when they went to look into funny balloons drifting in places like Montana and Wyoming. :-/

      Wish I had link; I think you should find link to it from some PBS web site. There was also a map that had locations of every known instance of such a balloon found... and there were quite a few pins on it.

    2. Re:Techology has gone full circle by Dr+Caleb · · Score: 5, Informative
      One Japanese balloon landed in Oregon, killing 2 people. The only casualties by Japan in the continental US during WWII.

      --
      "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain
    3. Re:Techology has gone full circle by jasoncart · · Score: 5, Informative

      6 people according to this source.

  4. You are Number 6. by trix_e · · Score: 5, Funny

    admittedly I didn't look at the site... but thinking about giant security blimps reminded me of the "guards"...

    --
    No man is an island, but Gary is a city in Indiana.
  5. The logical conclusion by Nick+of+NSTime · · Score: 5, Funny

    Soon, a stout steamer will carry all of our correspondence be-tween the United States and the British Empire, reducing communication time to a scant six weeks! Huzzah!

  6. Re:Bummer. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Tired of our dreary, repressive society?
    Start an exciting new life on the outer planets!"

  7. So yeah. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    References to "1984" have become so common and hackeneyed these days that it's become kind of like the second order version of Godwin's Law or something. I'll agree with this.

    But is this a reasonable time to start referencing 1984, now that they've started implementing actual plot devices from 1984 (the surveillance helicopters) in real life??

  8. Starcraft by nuclear305 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ....Does anyone else hear some spooky voice saying 'Must Spawn More Overlords!'

    Maybe this is all just a mass coverup to crashing alien craft. The numbers of crashed alien vessels has increased to the point where we need to make sure we have enough high alt. blimps cruising around so that we can claim one crashed!

  9. Ha! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny


    I've got them both beat... I'm working on a sport-utility blimp that's nearly the size of Australia!! The only problem I have so far is that it's a little hard to maneuver around smaller blimps.

  10. Security Cloud Cover? by pickapeppa · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just think though, with enough robotic blimps spying on us, the satelites won't be able to see us. Will this mean I'll need to build a new kind of aluminum foil hat?

  11. Homeland Security by maxdamage · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Notice their plan for using the blimps for homeland security. Notice the lack of ballons to the north. Do we trust canadians now? (j/k) But seriously, what happends when somone flys over canadian air space and around the blimps?

  12. Re:Bummer. by John+Biggabooty · · Score: 5, Funny

    If those lighted messages on these security blimps were done with light-emitting diodes, could you call one a Led Zeppelin?

    --
    That's Bigboo TAY! TAY!