Are airships making a comeback? LTA Research's Pathfinder 1 makes maiden flight over San Francisco Bay

On May 15, 2025, LTA Research, a startup founded by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, took its Pathfinder 1 airship out of Moffett Field for the first time. It is the largest aircraft to fly publicly since the 1930s.

Pathfinder 1 is a 124-meter-long helium-filled airship with a rigid carbon fiber frame that can operate on electricity. The company envisions the next-generation airships to be able to transport cargo or passengers with less energy than airplanes and without carbon emissions. During its maiden flight, Pathfinder 1 circled the bay twice and returned safely to base.

The airship is powered by 12 electric motors that can rotate 180 degrees. They are powered by batteries that are charged both on the ground and in flight using a hybrid system. The company has not yet revealed details about the type of power source, but is exploring the possibility of completely abandoning fossil fuels.

LTA Research has been working on the project for more than 12 years. According to engineers, the tests are proceeding slowly and carefully, with the team gradually increasing altitude and speed, while simultaneously making changes to the design. For example, after the first flights, stiffer partitions between the helium cylinders were added and the ballast system was improved.

Despite its size, Pathfinder 1 is just a prototype. Development of a larger airship, the Pathfinder 3, is already underway in Ohio, which the LTA plans to certify for commercial flights. In the future, the company sees its vehicles as an environmentally friendly alternative to air transportation — primarily for cargo and humanitarian missions.

LTA Research is funded by Google co-founder Sergey Brin. He has previously supported aerial technology, including Project Loon, which launched balloons with base stations to provide communications in remote areas. The new project also targets potential applications in natural disasters through the LTA-affiliated Global Support and Development Foundation.

LTA is competing with several other companies: the British Hybrid Air Vehicles, the French Flying Whales and the Californian Aeros. But it is Brin's startup that has the most financial support. The next stage is to expand the testing of Pathfinder 1 in more difficult weather conditions.