Lifting Gas: I think you are right, NFNG. The Scientific American article speculated that GTEL might replace lost helium with hydrogen. I suppose this would be generated, although I have no idea of feasable methods involved. Note that GTEL refers to "proprietary lifting gas technology". The lifting gas itself could not be proprietary, surely. This could also refer to a technology to compensate for the 17-fold expansion of the lifting gas on assent. If my memory is right, I think the Sci Am article speculated on this as well.