Near space airships have gained widespread attention owing to the unique characteristics of long endurance at high altitudes; because of this characteristic, such airships have great potential for use in the fields of communication relay, early warning, earth observation etc. Near space airships can substitute near-earth geostationary satellites owing to the advantages of high load and long endurance at altitude exceeding 20 km. Buoyancy against gravity is generated by the airship hull, which is completely filled with helium, while the near space airship is equipped with an electrical propulsion system powered by solar energy. Unlike conventional aircraft, nearspace airships are a new type of vehicles with less design experience; coupled multi-disciplinary problems related to aerodynamics, structure, energy, control, etc. exist. With the aim of finding a solution for optimal near-space airship design, this study proposed a design using a multidisciplinary design optimization method.
