The HiSentinel development team consisted of Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Aerostar International, Inc., COLSA Corporation, and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). SwRI designed the airship and provided the telemetry, flight control, power, and propulsion systems. Aerostar International fabricated the hull and participated in the integration and test flight. COLSA will provide payload integration and payload testing. AFRL developed the launch system, provided facilities, supported operations, and launched and recovered the HiSentinel. HiSentinel was funded by the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command as part of the Composite Hull High Altitude Powered Platform (CHHAPP) "spiral development program" seeking to develop an airship capable of "lifting small to medium payloads (20–200 pounds) to high altitudes for a duration of 30 days or greater."
The LEMV requirements are clearly defined:
"Requirements include a three-week endurance, station-keeping at 20,000ft altitude while carrying a 2,500lb, 16kW multi-INT payload."
HiSentinel clearly doesn't meet these requirements. It only carries an 80lb/500W payload which is significantly short of the LEMV MINIMUM requirements by 2420lbs and 15.5kW.
Southwest Research provides R&D consulting. They don't sell products. They are not a one-trick pony. Fantasize all you want about Sanswire winning this contract based solely on SwRi being an interested party and their past work on one of many products that also falls well short of the minimum requirements of the LEMV. I've seen some pretty strange government bids and proposals, but personally, I have never seen a contract awarded or a proposal submitted for a product that could only meet 3% of the minimum requirements of the solicietation.
Contrary to your statements:
1. HiSentinel IS NOT a "near term LEMV" as it only provides around 3% of the MINIMUM payload requirement of an LEMV.
2. Southwest Research's "name on the interested party list" DOES NOT "obviously involve the HiSentinel offering" anymore than having their name on that list involves their Mars solar-electric airship offering or any offerings from their work in the automotive industry.
3. Both HiSentinel and the "envisioned" Sanswire products fall so far short of the LEMV MINIMUM requirements that they would not even be considered if submitted.
AI
