The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has awarded contracts to three U.S. defense contractors to develop concepts for an airship that would be used in a U.S. missile defense system, Space & Missile reported today (see GSN, Nov. 11, 2002).

The defense contractors — Aeros Aeronautical Systems Corp., Boeing, and Lockheed Martin — will take part in an initiative called the High Altitude Airship Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration.  For the next four months, the companies will work to define concepts for a solar-powered airship that can fly at 65,000 feet and track ballistic missiles, an agency spokesman said.  The prototype airship, which is scheduled to be tested in 2006, must be able to provide 10 kilowatts of power to a 4,000-pound payload, as well as stay on station and control flight on its own.

By September, the agency will choose two of the three companies to further define their concepts, the spokesman said.  The Pentagon will then choose one contractor by summer 2004 to build a prototype airship for the demonstration initiative (Ann Roosevelt, Space & Missile, April 21).

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