this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023
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The world's largest aircraft breaks cover in Silicon Valley::As dawn breaks over Silicon Valley, the world is getting its first look at Pathfinder 1, a prototype electric airship that its maker LTA Research hopes

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (10 children)

Ha, yes let’s use a limited resource (helium) to save the earth!

No, I don’t have a better idea… and maybe the improvement is worth it. After all I’ll be dead in 100-200 years when helium runs out on Earth, but climate change is already having a huge impact.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I concur. This is really fucking stupid. The only actual advantage that airships have is loitering time, and solar aeroplanes can already loiter for months albeit with a small payload.

If you really care about the environment, make it an unmanned post and use more efficient (because it's lighter) and abundant hydrogen. Chance of explosion is pretty low, and if it does who cares.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Afaik they want to use hydrogen, it is actually pretty safe with modern understanding, but regulations make it hard to pursue.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Right? I'm embarrassed that we still think hydrogen to be more dangerous than gasoline and other fossil fuels.

I mean, hydrogen is dangerous, as are most things, but it likely won't ever kill 5~10 million people per year from pollution alone.

And regarding airships, hydrogen doesn't just explode as some like to think, and won't just plummet In case of fire if sealed in multiple metallic and flame resistant compartments like in modern airships, at least not without a freak accident.

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