TOMSK, Oct 1 – RIA Tomsk. Round-the-world expedition on the airship through both poles of the Earth, which is being prepared by scientists of the Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR), will take place in 2022; the consolidated flight budget will amount to about 1 billion rubles, the rector of the university Victor Rulevskiy told RIA Tomsk.
Earlier it was reported that the employees of TUSUR, together with engineers of the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) and representatives of the Russian Geographical Society (RGO) will develop and test equipment for a round-the-world research expedition on the airship. Project "Airship. Two Poles of the Earth" includes large-scale studies of the ocean, atmosphere and climate phenomena.
"According to our calculations, the expedition on the airship through two poles of the Earth will take place in 2022. This project is very ambitious, interesting in terms of science and education... The consolidated budget (of the expedition) is about 1 billion rubles," – Rulevskiy said.
According to him, the airship developed in TUSUR will be built by MAI specialists. The balloon will be made of multi-layer synthetic fabric, covered with a special aluminium composition that will prevent the balloon from heating from the sun, and filled with helium. Cabin frame is made of light metal alloy. The cost of the aircraft will be from 200 to 300 million rubles.
"The airship is unique in that you can stop anywhere, on any site. Take analyses of air, water samples, soil, record any climatic parameters. In addition it is interesting for TUSUR, that we will be able to test communication and navigation systems in extremely remote territories", – Rulevskiy explained.
According to him, TUSUR (even together with RGO) cannot fully finance the expedition and is currently looking for partners to organize the flight. Now several state corporations have shown interest in the project, ready to place their own equipment on the airship, as well as banks interested in advertising.