Google Co-founder Sergey Brin is building a secret airship in a former NASA hangar. Four people close to the project told Bloomberg that the zeppelin-like vehicle already has its metal skeleton, and takes up most of the inside of the hangar.
The report explains that Brin has a fascination with airships, and is making full use of the fact that the Ames Research Centre was once home to a US Navy airship. The dirigible in question was known as the USS Macon, which was used for scouting and as a flying aircraft carrier.
Nobody has been able to reveal the purpose of Brin’s airship. It’s not an Alphabet project, which has fueled rumours that the CEO is simply paying for a passion project. The tech industry is home to more than a few eccentric billionaires; and a personal dirigible wouldn’t be too unusual for Silicon Valley.
However, there is also a theory that this might be the start of a new method of transporting cargo. The lead engineer on the airship is Alan Weston, the former director of programs at NASA Ames.
Weston once gave a radio interview about using airships as a more efficient way to move cargo. The idea is that airships can be flown directly to where they need to go, without having to first deal with airports or other transportation hubs.
Neither Brin nor Weston has commented on the existence of the airship. It is very likely that the project has something to do with a secret Alphabet project, but we would like to think that it’s just the work of someone with enough money to build whatever he wants.
[Source: Bloomberg]
